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OF  THE 

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PRINCETON, 

N.  J. 

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Book, 

1 



HEBREW  HISTORY, 


FROM 


THE  DEATH  OF  MOSES  TO  THE  CLOSE  OF  THE 
SCRIPTURE  NARRATIVE. 


By  EEV.  HENKY  COWLES,  D.  D. 


"Hast  thon  marked  fhe  old  way  ■which  wicked  men  have  trodden  who  were  cut 
down  out  of  time  ?  "—Job  xxii  :  15,  16. 
"Light  is  sown  for  the  righteous."— Ps.  xcvii :  11. 


NEW  YORK: 
D.    APPLETOIST    &,    CO., 

549   AKD   551   Broabway. 

1875. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1S74, 

By  REV.  HENRY  COWLES,  D.D. 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


PREFACE 


This  volume  aims  to  present  the  entire  Sacred  History  of  the 
Hebrew  people  from  the  death  of  Moses  to  the  close  of  the  Old 
Testament.  Its  special  objects  are— to  trace  the  hand  of  God 
in  this  history,  and  to  suggest  the  advancing  revelations  made 
of  his  character  and  moral  government ;  to  develop  the  leading 
human  characters,  and  the  significance  of  the  great  historic 
events;  to  explain  difficult  passages;  to  bring  out  the  connec- 
tions between  sacred  and  profane  history,  in  order  both  to  illus- 
trate and  to  confirm  the  records  of  Scripture ;  to  place  the 
History  of  the  Old  Testament  by  the  side  of  its  Psalmody  and 
its  Prophecy,  in  order  to  infuse  into  the  History  somewhat  of  its 
own  living  soul,  and  to  give  to  the  poetry  more  of  its  bodily 
form  and  earthly  relationships,  and  to  Prophecy  its  due  illustra- 
tion and  impression.  The  author's  aim  and  hope  have  been, 
not  to  supersede  the  reading  of  these  historical  books  entire,  but 
rather  to  stimulate  and  aid  such  reading  by  setting  forth  inci- 
dentally the  exquisite  beauty  of  its  narratives,  the  interest  of 
its  historic  events,  and  its  great  wealth  of  most  precious  truth — 

every  way  worthy  of  an  Author  truly  divine     All  history  is 

(iii) 


IV  PREFACE. 

useful  in  so  far  as  it  mates  truthful  revelations  of  man's  doings 

and  of  God's  agencies  in  and  above  them ;  how,  then,  does  it 

behoove  us  to  honor  and  to  study  this  one  unparalleled  history 

in  which  the  relations  of  God  to  men  and  of  men  to  God  are 

traced  with  God's  own  unerring  finger  I     How  rich  are  we  in 

having  one  model  history  of  which  we  know  that  God  himself 

is  the  Author  I 

HENRY    COWLES. 

Oeeklix,  Ohio,  October,  1874. 


CONTENTS 


3j*:c 


THE  HEBREWS  IN  CANAAN. 


CHAPTEK  I. 

Introduction  to  the  book  of  Josliua, 


PAGE 

1 


CHAPTEK  II. 

Conquest  of  Canaan, 10 

Crossin,£f  the  Jordan, 13 

Memorial  stones, 15 

Fall  of  Jericho, 18 

Achan  and  Ai, 20 

Ebal  and  Gerizim, 26 

The  two  great  decisive  battles, 29 

The  sun  and  moon  stand  still, 30 

The  victory  over  the  kings  of  the  North, 35 


CHAPTER  III. 

Allotment  of  Canaan, 37 

Caleb  and  his  inheritance, 37 

Cities  of  refuge, 40 

The  altar  of  witness, 41 

Joshua's  last  words, 42 


CHAPTEE  IV. 

The  book  of  Judges, 48 

Eglon  of  Moab  and  Ehud, 50 

Deborah  and  Barak, 51 

Scenert  in  the  life  of  Gideon 65 

Jephthah  and  his  vow, 70 

The  story  of  Samson, 76 

Micah,  the  religious  idolater, 80 

The  nameless  Levite;  Gibeali  of  Benjamin,    ....  85 
The  period  of  the  Judges ;  Great  declension,     .         .         .         .88 

Chronology  of  the  book  of  Judges, 91 

The  story  of  Ruth, 92 

(v) 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEE  V. 

Introduction  to  the  Looks  of  Samuel, 95 

Samuel  and  his  mother, 97 

Samuel  a  prophet ;  Eli  and  his  sons, 102 

The  ark  in  captivity, 107 

Samuel  as  judge, 109 

The  order  of  prophets, Ill 

The  schools  of  the  prophets, 114 


CHAPTEE  VI. 

Saul,  and  the  rise  of  the  monarchy, 123 

The  kingdom  renewed  to  Saul, 120 

Samuel's  last  words  to  the  people, 128 

Saul  and  Jonathan, 130 

Saul  and  Amalek, 133 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  History  of  David, 136 

The  evil  spirit  in  Saul, .138 

David  and  Goliath, 141 

David  and  Saul, 146 

Saul  and  the  witch  at  Endor, 160 

David  and  Ziklag, 163 

Death  of  Saul, 165 

David's  elegy  upon  Saul  and  Jonathan, 166 

Saul's  character, 168 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Introduction  to  Chronicles, 171 

David  as  king, 175 

His  steps  to  the  throne, 175 

The  ark  located  in  Jerusalem, 179 

Public  worship  reorganized  with  sacred  song,     ....  182 

The  great  Messianic  promise, 187 

David's  wars, 193 

David's  great  sins, 196 

David's  domestic  calamities, 199 

The  sin  of  numbering  the  people, 205 

David's  work  for  the  temple, 209 

Arrangements  for  the  succession, 214 

David's  last  words  and  character, 216 

Relations  of  the  Hebrews  to  other  nations,     ....      220 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Introduction  to  the  books  of  Kings, 223 

Solomon, 227 

Solomon's  dream  and  choice,       .        .        .         .        .        •        .  228 


CONTENTS.  Vll 

PAGB 

Solomon's  wisdom  and  writings, 231 

His  building  and  consecration  of  the  temple,  .         .         .  235 

His  foreign  relations, 239 

His  apostasy  from  God, 241 

His  repentance  ;  The  evidence  in  the  case, .         .         .         ^      242 

Eeligious  influence  of  Solomon's  reign, 244 

Contact  of  sacred  history  with  profane, 249 


CHAPTER  X. 


The  Eevolt, 

Jeroboam, 

Tlie  agency  of  prophets  in  Israel, 
Jeroboam  ;  Abijam  ;  Baasha,     . 
Ahab  and  Elijah  the  Tishbite,     . 
Elijah,  Ahab,  and  the  rain, 

Elijah  in  Horeb, 

Review  of  Elijah  in  Carmel  and  Horeb, 

History  of  Ahab, 

Ahab,  Jezebel,  and  Naboth, 

Ahab,  Jehoshaphat,  and  Ramoth-Gilead,    . 

King  Ahaziah  and  Elijah, 

Elijah's  translation, 

King  Jehoram,  second  son  of  Ahab, 

Mesha  ;  The  Moabite  stone, 

The  Prophet  Elisha,  .... 

Naaman,  the  Syrian, 

Elisha;  Samaria  besieged  and  delivered, 
Jehu  ;  His  work  and  dynasty, 
Jeroboam  XL  and  the  prophets, 
Menahem  ;  Pekah  ;  Pul  of  Assyria,     . 
End  of  the  Kingdom  of  Israel. 
Connections  of  sacred  history  with  profane. 
Review  of  the  Northern  Kingdom, 


252 
255 
257 
261 
264 
266 
273 
275 
279 
283 
285 
290 
291 
293 
296 
297 
300 
303 
308 
312 
313 
314 
316 
320 


CHAPTER  XL 

History  of  the  Kingdom  of  Judah, 322 

Rehoboam;  Shishak, 322 

Asa ;  Zerah  the  Ethiopian, 325 

His  reformation, 327 

Jehoshaphat ;  His  deliverance  and  reformation,         .         .         .  328 

Jehoram;  Ahaziah;  Athaliah, 333 

Jehoiada  and  Joash, 336 

Amaziah;  Uzziah;  Jotham, 339 

Ahaz, 342 

Hezekiah  ;  His  reformation, 346 

Manasseh  ;  Amon, 355 

Josiah ;  His  reformation, 358 

The  sons  of  Josiah, 362 

The  Captivity, 364 

Sacred  history  confirmed  by  profane, 369 


Vlll 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTEE  XII. 

The  Age  of  the  Eestoration, 

Its  antecedents, 

History  of  the  restored  people  ;  Book  of  Ezra, 
Decree  of  Cyrus  ;  Genealogical  record, 
Foundations  of  the  temple  laid, 

Samaritan  opposition, 

Temple  finished, 

Ezra  arrives;  His  commission,    .         .         .         . 
Intermarriages  with  idolaters. 

Scenes  of  prayer, .         . 

Steps  toward  reform, 

Character  of  Ezra, 

Book  of  Nehemiah, 

Nehemiah's  story, 

Arrives  at  Jerusalem, 

Rebuilding  of  the  city  walls;  Opposition, 
A  chapter  on  the  poor  and  the  rich. 
Opposition  to  the  wall-building,  .         .         .         . 
Great  meeting  for  Scripture  reading, 
Great  feast  of  tabernacles,   ..... 
National  concert  of  prayer,       .... 

The  Psalms  of  this  period, 

Events  of  Nehemiah's  second  sojourn  in  Judah, 
Eeview  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  .... 
Origin  of  the  Samaritan  community, 
Esther — book  of,  etc.;  Author  anddate,    . 

The  story  of  Esther, 

The  feast  of  Purim, 


371 

372 
374 
375 
376 
377 
378 
379 
380 
381 
382 
383 
384 
385 
386 
387 
389 
391 
393 
394 
395 
397 
398 
399 
401 
403 
404 
410 


CHAPTEE  XIII. 

Eevelation   progressive   throughout  Hebrew  history— in  what 

particulars, " .         ,         .410 


Appendix — Chronological  Tables, 


419 


T 


^-'"^'^m. 


HEBREW   HISTORY, 


THE  HEBREWS  IN  CANAAN. 

It  is  proposed  in  this  volume,  First;  to  treat  of  the  can- 
onical authority  and  authorship  of  these  historical  books ; 

Secondly;  to  consider  the    events  and  characters 

here  presented,  as  matters  of  history^  designed  to  throw 
light  upon  the  character  and  Avays  of  God,  and  upon 
the  heart  and  life  of  man. Thirdly ;  to  explain  diffi- 
cult passages,  giving  due  attention  to  those  facts  and 
events  against  which  objections  have  been  raised. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Introduction  to  the  Book  of  Joshua. 

On  what  grounds  is  this  hook  included  in  the  Canon  of 
Scripture  ? 

These  grounds  may  be  arranged  under  four  heads  as 
follows : 

I.  The  concurrent  testimony  of  all  Hebrew  history ; 

II.  The  intrinsic  demand  for  such  a  book  as  this  in  the 
Canon  ; 

HI.  The  provision  made  nationally  for  a  continuous 
Hebrew  history  ; 

IV.   The  indorsement  of  Christ  and  his  apostles. 

I.  In  speaking  of  the  concurrent  testimony  of  Hebrew 
history,  I  call  attention, 

1.  To  ihefact ; 2.  To  the  value  of  the  fact  as  testi- 
mony to  the  point  in  hand. 

1.  The  fact  is  sustained 

(1.)  By  repeated  references  to  this  book  in  subsequent 

(1) 


Z  INTRODUCTION    TO   JOSHUA. 

books  of  the  Canon,  both  of  the  Old  Testament  and  of  the 

New. The  book  of  Judges  links  itself  to  this  book  of 

Joshua  in  its  first  verse  :  "  Now  after  the  death  of 
Joshua,  it  came  to  pass,"  etc.  Also  by  the  fact  that 
two  passages  are  quoted  with  little  variation  from 
Joshua  and  incorporated  into  the  history  of  the  Judges, 
viz.,  Josh.  15 :  13-19  into  Judges  1 :  10-15 ;  and  Josh. 

24  :   28-30   into  Judges   2  :   6-9. Again   we  have  a 

striking  reference  to  Josh.  6:  26  (the  malediction  pro- 
nounced by  Joshua  on  the  man  who  should  attempt  to 
rebuild  Jericho),  in  1  Kings  16 :  34.  The  shape  of  this 
reference  is  :  "  According  to  the  word  of  the  Lord  which 
he  spake  by  Joshua,  the  son  of  Nun."  This  not  only 
indorses  the  book  of  Joshua  as  part  of  the  well-known 
collection  of  Hebrew  historical  records,  but  these  words 

of  Joshua  as  inspired  of  God. In   the   Psalms  of 

Israel  we  find  repeated  references  to  the  great  historic 
facts  of  the  conquest  and  settlement  of  Canaan,  as  may 
be  seen  in  Ps.  44 :  1-3,  and  78 :  54,  55,  and  105 :  42-45, 
and  135:  10-12,  and  136:  17-22. The  specially  his- 
toric prayer  of  Nehemiah  (9  :  22-25)  groups  the  great 
events  of  the  book  of  Joshua  with  those  of  the  books  of 
INFoses  preceding  and  with  the  later  books  that  follow. 
The  sublime  strains  of  Habakkuk  (3 :  3-15)  are  but  the 
echo  of  the  historic  events  of  this  book  of  Joshua,  presup- 
posing, therefore,  the  existence  of  this  book. In  the 

New  Testament  we  find  references  to  this  book  in  the  his- 
toric speech  of  Stephen  (Acts  7  :  45),  and  in  that  of  Paul 
(Acts  13:  19).  Two  other  references  appear  in  the 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  (4  :  8,  and  11  :  30,  31).  It  is  un- 
fortunate that  twice  in  the  New  Testament  the  name 
of  Joshua  is  given  "Jesus,"  viz.,  in  Acts  7 :  45  and  Heb. 
4:  8. 

(2.)  The  book  of  Joshua  stands  in  its  place  in  all  the 
ancient  translations  made  of  the  Old  Testament  Canon, 
e.  ff.,  The  Scptuagint  and  the  Chaldee  Targums.  This 
is  the  strongest  sort  of  historic  testimon3^ 

(3.)  Its  claim  is  supported  by  the  unvarying  testi- 
mony of  all  known  Jewish  writers,  especially  of 
Josephus  and  of  the  great  lights  of  Jewish  learning  in 
the  ages  since  the  Christian  era. 

Here  let  it  be  carefully  noted : — It  is  historically  cer- 
tain, apart  from  scripture  testimony,  that  the  Hebrew 
peoj^jle  in  the  infancy  of  their  nation  were  in  Egypt. 


INTRODUCTION   TO   JOSHUA.  3 

It  is  historically  certain  that  Canaan  was  their  home 
and  country  for  many  centuries  anterior  to  the  Chris- 
tian era.  How  came  they  there?  What  history  of  the 
conquest  of  Canaan  and  of  the  location  of  Israel  there 
has  the  world  ever  had  except  what  is  here  in  this 
book  of  Joshua  ?  The  fact  that  somehow  they  came 
into  possession  of  this  country — that  at  some  time  they 
did  locate  themselves  there — is  beyond  question. 
Hence  there  is  the  strongest  presumption  that  this 
book  is  a  true  history,  and  has  always  been  a  part  of 
the  sacred  historic  records  of  Israel.* 

2.  We  next  consider  the  value  of  this  historic  testi- 
mony. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  the  early  traditions  of  some 
of  the  oldest  nations  are  fabulous.  Why  may  not  this 
book  of  Joshua  be  fabulous  also  ? 

I  answer :  It  lies  on  the  face  of  every  page  of  this  book 

*It  is  in  place  to  adduce  collateral  testimonies  from  profane  his- 
tory and  monuments  to  corroborate  the  historic  verity  of  this  book 
of  Joshua. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  ancient  Canaanites  and  Phenicians  were 
a  maritime  people,  traversing  the  great  Mediterranean  with  their 
ships  and  commerce,  and  at  a  very  early  period  planting  colonies  in 
North-Avestern  Africa.  It  is  also  clear  from  the  narrative  in  this 
book  of  Joshua,  and  is  probable  from  the  nature  of  the  case  that  the 
invasion  of  Canaan  by  Joshua  smote  those  nations  with  panic,  and, 
consequently,  that  some  at  least  would  naturally  flee  the  country  by 
water,  following  the  well-known  track  of  their  commerce  to  the  shores 
of  Africa.  In  accordance  with  these  probabilities,  there  comes  down 
to  us  through  three  apparently  independent  witnesses  the  statement 
tliat  in  Numidia  there  stood  one  or  more  pillars  with  substantially 
this  inscription :   "We  are  they  who  fled  from  the  face  of  Joshua  the 

Robber,  the  son  of  Nun." The  three  witnesses  are  Moses  of  Chorone, 

the  Armenian  historian;  Procopius,  the  Secretary  of  Belisarius,  who 
went  to  Africa  with  that  distinguished  general;  and  Suidas,  the 
lexicographer,  of  the  tenth  Christian  century.  The  inscriptions  are 
given  with  slight  variations  by  these  three  witnesses,  the  words  of 
Moses  being  these :  "  When  he  (Joshua)  was  destroying  the  Canaan- 
ites, some  fled  to  Agra  and  sought  Tharsis  in  ships.  This  appears 
from  an  inscription  carved  on  pillars  in  Africa  Avhich  is  extant  even 
in  our  own  time,  and  is  of  this  purport:  "We,  the  chiefs  of  the 
Canaanites,  fleeing  from  Joshua  the  Robber,  have    come  hither  to 

dwell." The  words  as  first  quoted  above  are  from  Procopius. 

Suidas,  on  the  word  Canaan,  remarks  :  *'  And  there  are  up  to  the 
present  time  such  slabs  in  Numidia,  containing  the  following  in- 
scription • — "We  are   Canaanites,  whom   Joshua  the  Robber  drove 

out." The  account  in  full  is  given  by  George  Rawlinson  in  his 

Bampton  Lectures  of  1859,  pages  86,  87,  300,  301. 


4  IXTHODUCTION   TO   JOSHUA. 

that  it  ivas  icritten  in  the  interests  of  the  true  God.  Its  aim 
Avas  to  make  revelations  of  God's  character  and  waj'S. 
It  was  written  by  one  who  feared  God  and  was  conse- 
crated to  his  service.  That  he  wrote  under  a  deep  sense 
of  being  near  to  God — near  to  the  God  of  infinite  truth- 
fuhiess,  purity,  sincerity — is  everj^-where  apparent. 

Here  my  argument  is  that  the  highest  guaranty  for 
the  truthfulness  of  an  historical  book  is  the  truthful 
spirit  of  its  author.  If  there  is  truth  anywhere  among 
men,  we  must  look  for  it  where  the  influence  of  the  God 
of  truth  is  felt  most  strongly  on  the  soul.  If  it  be  said 
that  the  Hebrew  nation  sometimes  apostatized  from  the 
true  God  to  idols,  the  answer  is,  Yes; — but  the  books  of 
the  Old  Testamentnever  apostatized  from  God;  never  drifted 
into  the  current  of  the  national  apostacy ;  never  failed 
to  protest  most  solemnly  and  at  every  peril  against  such 
apostacy.  If  the  facts  were  otherwise  ;  if  the  writers  of 
these  books  had  gone  into  apostacy  from  God,  this  argu- 
ment, I  admit,  would  lose  its  force.  The  devil  is  notori- 
ously the  father  of  lies.  It  would  not  be  safe  to  assume 
that  any  book  or  any  part  of  a  book  written  in  his  in- 
terest is  true. 

II.  There  was  an  intrinsic  demand  for  such  a  book  as  this 
in  the  sacred  Canon.  It  was  an  indispensable  link  of  con- 
nection between  the  Pentateuch  and  all  subsequent 
Hebrew  history.  Whole  pages  of  promise  had  been  given 
to  the  patriarchs,  pledging  to  their  posterit}^  the  land 
of  Canaan  for  their  country  and  inheritance.  Was  there 
not,  tlierefore,  a  demand  for  some  record  of  the  fulfill- 
ment? Was  it  not  vital  that  all  the  future  genera- 
tions of  Israel  should  know  how  this  fulfillment  was 
brought  about?  Did  not  all  those  future  generations 
need  the  moral  power  of  these  great  facts  of  their 
nation's  history?  Did  not  the  Lord  know  they  would 
need  it?  If  it  be  true  that  the  Lord  opened  the  Jordan 
waters  at  high  flood  for  their  passage  on  dry  ground  ; 
if  it  be  true  that  the  walls  of  the  first  city  they  came  to 
fell  before  the  blast  of  ram's  horns  and  the  presence  of 
the  ark  of  the  covenant ;  if  it  be  true  that  God  discom- 
fited host  after  host  of  Canaan's  best  armed  thousands 
with  storm  and  hail ;  is  it  not  to  be  presumed  that  God 
would  secure  an  authentic,  reliable  account  of  these 
great  facts  for  the  moral  instruction  of  the  future  thou- 
sands of  Israel,  and  indeed  of  the  whole  world? — But 


INTRODUCTION    TO   JOSHUA.  5 

there  is  no  other  record  competing  with  this.  It  is,  there- 
fore, this,  or  none. 

Yet  further;  let  it  be  said  Avith  emphasis:  this  argu- 
ment will  not  appear  in  its  full  force  until  Ave  consider 
the  intrinsic  demand  for  a  history  of  these  great  events, 
not  only  trutliful  historically,  but  inspired  of  God — in- 
spired in  the  sense  of  being  brought  out  under  divine 
direction,  comprising  what  the  Lord  deemed  it  impor- 
tant to  place  on  these  historic  records  for  the  moral  in- 
struction of  all  coming  generations.  If  the  Lord  planted 
Israel  in  Canaan  by  his  oAvn  special  providence,  in  ful- 
fillment of  his  own  long-standing  promise,  it  admits  of 
no  rational  question  that  he  took  care  to  have  a  reliable 
record  of  the  fact  under  his  OAvn  indorsement.  If  God 
Avas  in  Israel ;  if  they  Avere  his  chosen  people;  if  he  Avas 
using  them  for  the  purpose  of  revealing  himself  to  our 
world — then  it  is  simply  impossible  that  those  great 
deeds  clone  by  him  for  the  very  purpose  of  revealing 
himself,  should  be  left  to  sink  into  oblivion  unrecorded — 
impossible  that  they  should  fail  of  such  a  record  as 
Avould  ansAver  the  ends  of  God  in  a  Avritten  revelation. 
That  is  to  say ;  if  the  book  of  Joshua  is  historically  true, 
it  can  not  be  less  than  inspired  of  God.  If  his  hand 
was  in  those  events,  his  hand  Avas  also  in  the  record 
Avhich  has  brought  them  doAvn  through  all  the  ages  to 
our  hand. 

It  may  aid  toAvard  a  better  conception  of  the  force  of 
these  arguments  if  Ave  put  it  as  a  supposition — That  the 
entire  books  of  Joshua,  Judges,  and  1  Samuel  Avere  never 
Avritten — that  this  section  of  HebrcAV  history  Avere  left 
a  dead  blank,  and  Ave  Avere  launched  from  the  death  of 
Moses  flush  into  the  reign  of  David.  At  the  point 
Avhen  Moses  disappears  from  the  history,  the  people 
Avere  manifestly  on  the  borders  of  the  promised  land ; 
every  thing  seemed  ripe  for  crossing  the  Jordan  and 
taking  possession.  But  the  next  record  we  have  gives 
us  the  nation  apparently  long  time  planted  in  Canaan ; 
a  monarchical  government  in  running  order,  and  a 
young  man  of  very  marked  qualities,  admirable  training, 
and  high  promise,  ready  to  ascend  the  throne.  What 
sort  of  Rip  Van  Winkle  sleep  has  been  upon  the  HebrcAv 
people,  or  at  least  upon  their  historians,  during  all  this 
period?  What  account  can  be  given  for  this  mysteri- 
ous silence  of  HebreAV  history?     Hoav  has  it  happened 


6  INTRODUCTION   TO   JOSHUA. 

(we  ask  it  reverently)  that  the  Lord  permitted  such  a 
blank  in  the  historic  records  of  his  own  glorious  achieve- 
ments? Counted  numerically  or  estimated  in  military 
science  by  the  •weight  of  their  battalions,  Israel  was 
weak  and  Canaan  mighty.  How  was  this  immense 
disparity  overcome  ?  Why  did  not  the  Lord  tell  all  the 
world  hoxo  he  fulfilled  his  word  to  the  old  patriarchs  and 
how  he  made  his  chosen  people  mighty  through  God  to 
the  casting  down  of  the  strongly  walled  cities  of  old 
Canaan  ? 

III.  With  forethoughtful  wisdom,  God  made  pro- 
vision in  the  Hebrew  constitution  for  a  continuous 
Hebrew  history  and  for  its  preservation.  The  tribe  of 
Levi  and  the  family  of  Aaron  were  the  learned  class  of 
the  nation.  Exempted  largely  from  engrossing,  ex- 
haustive toil,  it  was  one  of  their  official  duties  to  care 
for  the  religious  instruction  of  the  people.  It  was  made 
both  their  interest  and  their  duty  to  guard  the  archives 
of  the  nation ;  to  keep  the  books  of  Moses  and  the  later 
historical  books  as  they  were  prepared.  That  the  origi- 
nal plan  assigned  to  them  also  the  function  of  national 
historian  is  perhaps  possible,  but  it  is  not  definitely 
indicated.  If  such  were  the  plan  it  was  soon  modified. 
Whether  because  of  negligence  on  their  part,  or  because 
their  Levitical  duties  were  all  they  could  perform  well, 
or  because  some  special  qualifications  were  naturally 
requisite  for  this  service,  it  came  to  pass  that  ver}^ 
early  after  Moses  the  Lord  raised  up  a  series  of  2^^'02^hets 
to  write  the  history  each  of  his  own  times.  The  sacred 
books  show  plainly  that  Samuel,  Nathan,  Gad,  and  other 
men  of  this  class,  became  national  historians.  Their 
succession  and  their  services  were  by  far  the  more  reli- 
able from  the  fact  that  God  himself  filled  their  ranks  ; 
that  they  did  not  hold  office  by  hereditary  riglit  or  by 
any  public  appointment  from  men,  but  directly  and 
immediately  from  God  himself.  What  better  guaranty 
than  tliis  can  be  rationally  demanded? 

The  historic  testimony,  to  show  that  a  scries  of  proph- 
ets became  the  historians  of  their  nation,  is  of  this 
sort  : 

1.  Throughout  the  two  books  of  the  Kings,  the  writer 
closes  his  narrative  of  each  king  by  referring  the  reader 
for  any  further  information  to  the  books  of  the  chron- 
icles of  the  kings  of  Israel  or  of  Judah.     With  scarcely 


INTRODUCTION   TO   JOSHUA.  7 

the  slightest  variation  in  his  method,  if  it  be  a  king 
of  Judah,  he  refers  you  to  the  chronicles  of  the  kings 
of  Judah ;  if  of  Israel,  to  the  chronicles  of  their  kings. 
The  case  of  Solomon  being  very  prominent,  he  writes 
thus  (1  Kings  11 :  41)  :  "  The  rest  of  the  acts  of  Solo- 
mon, and  all  that  he  did,  and  his  wisdom,  are  they  not 
written  in  the  book  of  the  acts  of  Solomon?" — showing 
apparently  that  his  history  was  to  be  found  in  a  special 
volume  bearing  his  name. 

In  the  two  books  of  Chronicles  the  references  to  his- 
toric authorities  for  "  the  rest  of  the  acts  "  of  its  several 
kings  are  less  uniform,  but  for  this  reason  more  valu- 
able. Of  David  we  read  thus  (1  Chron.  29 :  29,  30) : 
"  Now  the  acts  of  David  the  king,  first  and  last,  behold, 
they  are  written  in  the  book  of  Samuel  the  seer,  and  in 
the  book  of  Nathan  the  prophet,  and  in  the  book  of 
Gad  the  seer ;  With  all  his  reign  and  his  might,  and 
the  times  that  went  over  him  and  over  Israel,  and  over 
all  the  kingdoms  of  the  countries" — which  certainly 
indicates  a  very  full  history,  not  of  Israel  only  and  of 
David,  but  of  outside  powers.  Here  are  three  historians 
of  David  and  his  times — Samuel,  Nathan,  Gad. Solo- 
mon also  had  the  honor  of  three  distinct  historians  (2 
Chron.  9  :  29) — Nathan,  Abijah  the  Shilonite,  and  Idclo 
the  seer.  For  further  particulars  of  Kehoboam,  the 
writer  refers  to  "  Shemaiah  the  prophet  and  to  Iddo  the 
seer   concerning  genealogies^^ — this    important    function 

falling  within  their  province   (2  Chron.   12 :    15) 

Closing  his  sketch  of  Jehoshaphat,  he  says  (2  Chron.  20 : 
34) — "The  rest  of  his  acts  are  written  in  the  book  of 
Jehu,  son  of  Hanani,  who  is  mentioned  in  the  book  of 
the  Kings  of  Israel " — a  fact  which  is  verified  in  1  Kings 

16 :  1,  7. Again,  we  have  several  references  to  "  the 

book  of  the  kings  of  Judah  and  Israel." — Moreover, 
"the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Uzziah,"  (the  writer  says) 
"Isaiah  the  prophet  did  write"  (2  Chron.  26:  12) ;  also, 
"  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Hezekiah  and  his  goodness,  be- 
hold, they   are   written   in   the   vision   [prophec}^]   of 

Isaiah  the  prophet " — as  we  may  see  in  Isa.  36-39. 

This  twofold  reference  to  Isaiah  suggests  two  points 
worthy  of  notice,  viz.,  that  these  prophet-historians 
wrote  largely  as  eye-witnesses  of  matters  falling  under 
their  personal  knowledge,  and  that  in  this  one  case  we 
have  in  our  hand  the  very  authorities  to  which  he 


8  INTRODUCTION    TO   JOSHUA. 

refers  us  for  further  information.  In  the  other  cases 
(excepting  what  Samuel  wrote  of  David),  the  historic 
authorities  are  no  longer  extant. 

Comprehensively  the  facts  on  the  subject  of  historic 

references  to  other  authorities  in  writing  are : (1.) 

They  include  every  case  in  which  the  w^riters  of  either 
the  books  of  Kings  or  of  Chronicles  record  the  death  of 

a  Hebrew  king,  whether  of  Israel  or  of  Judah. (2.) 

They  give  us  the  names  of  at  least  eight  such  prophet- 
historians,  and  manifestly  refer  to  works  written  by 
many  others. (3.)  So  far  as  appears,  these  prophet- 
historians  of  the  acts  of  those  kings  wrote  out  and 
placed  in  the  public  archives  the  events  of  their  own 
times,  from  which  the  writers  of  the  books  of  Kings 
and  Chronicles  drew  if  they  had  occasion,  and  to  which 
they  referred  their  early  readers  for  further  informa- 
tion. The  authorities  referred  to  were  extant  when 
our  canonical  histories  were  written. (4.)  Compar- 
ing the  historic  sketches  Avhich  have  come  down  to  us 
in  the  canonical  books  with  those  to  which  they  re- 
ferred but  which  are  now  lost,  it  is  surely  legitimate 
to  infer  that  if  the  latter  were  written  by  men  known 
as  inspired  prophets,  yet  more  surely  were  the  former, 
viz.  the  books  preserved  through  all  the  future  genera- 
tions of  Israel  in  their  sacred  canon. 

IV.  The  proof  that  "Joshua"  belongs  in  the  canon 
of  the  Old  Testament  is  properly  completed  by  the  in- 
dorsement of  Christ  and  his  apostles.  They  furnish 
this  indorsement  in  two  ways : 

(a.)  They  indorse  the  entire  Old  Testament  canon 
under  its  Avell-known  names;  "the  Scriptures,"  "the 
Holy  Scriptures,"  "the  Law,  the  Prophets,  and  the 
Psalms,"  etc.  Sec  Luke  24 :  44,  and  16 :  20,  and  John  5  : 
39,  46,  47,  and  Acts  28 :  23,  and  1  Tim.  3 1  16,  and  2  Pet. 
1:  21. 

(b.)  They  indorse  the  several  books  by  quotations 
from  them  or  by  allusions  to  them  as  a  portion  of  the 
sacred  canon.  The  historic  events  of  Joshua  are  defi- 
nitely referred  to  by  Stephen  (Acts  7 :  4,  5) ;  by  Paul 
(Acts  13  :  19) ;  and  by  the  writer  to  the  Hebrews  (4 :  8, 
and  11 :  30,  31.) 

I  see  no  call  for  further  argument  beyond  what  will 
be  found  in  these  two  closing  suggestions ;  viz.,  (1.) 
That  the  points  above  made  are  the  best  evidence  that 


I^'TRODUCTION    TO    JOSHUA.  9 

is  in  the  nature  of  the  case  possible — the  very  sort  of 
evidence  which  might  be  expected  for  books  really  in- 
spired, and  all  that  ought  to  be  expected ; and  (2)  that 

these  proofs  stand  unimpeached.  From  reliable  sources 
of  testimony  no  counter  voice  has  ever  been  heard. 

There  remains  the  less  important  question  of  the  orig- 
inal author  of  this  book. 

Here  I  make  two  main  points. 

1.  There  is  strong  internal  evidence  that  the  original 
writer  was  contemporary  with  the  events.  In  a  few 
passages  he  writes  in  the  first  person,  definitely  in- 
cluding himself  among  the  actors.  "  Until  we  were 
passed  over  "  (5  :  1).  "  The  land  which  the  Lord  swore 
that  he  would  give  us  "  (5:6).  Note  also  what  he  writes 
of  Rahab  :  "  She  dwelleth  in  Israel  even  unto  this  day  " 
(6:    25),  showing  that  the  record  was  written  while 

Rahab  yet  lived. Many  passages  give  us  the  definite 

words  of  conversation  had  or  directions  given,  as  might 
be  expected  in  a  narrative  made  at  the  time  and  on  the 
spot.  The  geographical  allotments  of  Canaan  among 
the  tribes  were  matters  of  contemporary  record — wisely, 
if  not  even  necessarily.  The  narrative  itself  notes  the 
fact :  "  The  men  went  and  passed  through  the  land  and 
described  it  by  cities  into  seven  parts  in  a  book  "  (18 : 
9).  These  are  points  of  strong  internal  proof  of  a 
record  made  very  near  the  time  of  the  events. 

2.  That  Joshua  was  himself  the  writer,  or  at  least 
that  it  was  done  under  his  eye  and  at  his  instance,  is 

eminently  probable,  on  these  grounds  : (a.)    Trained 

under  Moses — his  first  and  most  prominent  servant, 
associate,  assistant,  and  after  the  death  of  Moses,  his 
successor,  it  is  almost  certain  that  he  was  competent  to 
write  this  history — and  that  he  did. (b.)  It  is  ex- 
plicitly said  that  he  wrote  out  one  transaction  (24: 
26):  "And  Joshua  wrote  these  w'ords  in  the  book  of 
the  law%"  etc. Against  these  points  of  strong  prob- 
able evidence,  there  is  so  far  as  I  know  no  counter 
evidence  whatever. 


CHAPTER   II. 

C0^' QUEST   OF    CANAAN. 

We  have  rcaclied  another  of  the  great  crisis  periods 
of  Hebrew  histor}^,  at  once  critical  and  momentous, 
eventful  and  inspiring.  How  critical  it  was,  we  shall 
better  appreciate  if  we  recall  to  mind  the  failure  to 
reach  Canaan  when  they  came  out  of  Egypt  though 
they  came  forth  "  with  a  high  hand; "  or  the  yet  more 
disastrous  failure  when  they  moved  upon  Canaan  from 
Kadesh-Barnea ;  or  if  we  remember  how  long  they  had 
been  marching  and  countermarching  and  camping 
through  the  great  Arabian  desert  in  wanderings  that 
seemed  so  fruitless  and  disheartening,  in  which  there 
had  been  so  much  of  hope  deferred  and  of  wearisome 
waiting  for  an  end  long  sought  in  vain.  It  was  critical^ 
moreover,  in  view  of  the  great  military  power  of  the  old 
nations  of  Canaan,  or  the  very  unmilitary  antecedents 
of  Israel. Naturally,  the  issues  were  to  be  moment- 
ous and  eventful;  for  they  were  destined  to  make  or 
unmake  a  great  nation.  They  must  issue  in  the  rising 
and  triumph  of  God's  earthly  kingdom,  or  in  its  dis- 
honor, and  in  at  least  the  long  postponement  of  its 
success.  Promises  and  covenants  pledging  Canaan  to 
this  people  which  God  had  been  waiting  through  long 
generations  to  fulfill  were  either  on  the  eve  of  their 
fulfillment  or  of  another  postponement  of  unknown 
duration.  It  is  in  human  nature  to  feel  a  keen  sensi- 
bility over  the   pending  of  issues  so  momentous  and 

eventful. Yet  the  hour  was  inspiring  in  just  so  far 

as  there  was  evidence  that  God's  hand  was  there  ^nd 
that  he  was  about  to  inaugurate  a  great  era  of  victory 
for  Israel. 

Fitly  the  history  opens  (Josh.  1.)  by  revealing  God's 
agency  in  the  movement — his  great  command  from  his 
lofty  throne,  bidding  the  people  "  go  forward."  Coupled 
with  tliis,  the  history  discloses  the  moral  state  of  the 
people — the  tone  and  temper  of  both  the  leader  and  the 

led   in   this   eventful   hour. First  of   all   the   Lord 

spake  to  Joshua,  transferring  to  him  the  leadership  of 
Israel  which  Moses  laid  down  at  his  death,  and  bidding 
(10) 


CONQUEST   OF    CANAAN.  11 

him  arise  and  go  over  Jordan — "thou  and  all  this  peo- 
ple." As  if  to  inspire  complete  assurance  of  success, 
he  said  to  him — "  Not  a  man  shall  be  able  to  stand  be- 
fore thee  all  the  days  of  thy  life;  as  I  was  with  Moses, 
so  will  I  be  with  thee ;  I  will  not  fail  thee  nor  forsake 
thee;  be  strong  and  of  a  good  courage,  for  unto  this 
people  thou  shalt  divide  Canaan  for  their  inheritance." 
It  was  every  thing  toward  success  that  the  soul  of  their 
leader  should  be  mighty  in  God  and  sure  of  victory; 

hence    these     words. Forthwith     orders     go    forth 

through  his  subordinate  officers  to  all  the  people  to  be 
in  readiness  within  three  days  to  pass  over  Jordan. 
Was  not  that  an  hour  of  most  thrilling  interest  to  the 
thousands  of  Israel?  Is  their  wilderness  life  at  last  to 
end?  Are  they  so  soon  to  plant  their  weary  feet  on 
the  goodly  soil  of  Canaan  ?  Joshua  has  a  special  word 
for  the  warriors  of  the  two-and-a-half  tribes  already 
located  in  their  national  home  on  the  east  of  Jordan. 
It  was  in  the  bond  that  their  men  of  war,  leaving  their 
families  in  their  eastern  homes,  should  go  over  before 
their  brethren,  unincumbered,  harnessed  for  battle. 
The  record  sets  forth  their  prompt  response  to  this  call. 
We  are  ready/  We  wait  for  marching  orders.  "Only 
the  Lord  thy  God  be  with  thee  as  he  was  with  Moses. 

Be  strong  and  of  a  good  courage." In  these  words  we 

have  the  temper,  the  morale,  of  this  army  of  conquest. 
The  faith  of  God  strong  in  their  souls;  their  hearts 
on  obedience  to  God ;  their  eye  on  victory  ! 

Here  we  may  fitly  arrest  the  historic  narrative  for 
the  moment  to  revise  this  group  of  fads  and  gather  up  their 
moral  lessons,  as  thus  : 

1.  God  is  never  afraid  of  exigencies  for  his  people,  how- 
ever severe  the  strain  they  may  occasion.  Indeed  exi- 
gencies are  a  part  of  his  ordained  scheme  for  their 
earthly  discipline. 

2.  God  never  fails  to  be  equal  to  any  emergency  into 
which  he  may  bring  his  people. 

3.  It  comes  of  his  wisdom,  kindness,  and  love  that  he 
prepares  his  people  before  hand  to  bear  the  great  labor 
he  proposes  to  put  upon  them.  During  full  forty  years 
of  wilderness  life  under  Moses  he  had  been  preparing 
this  generation  for  the  conquest  of  Canaan.  Noticeably 
he  began  with  them  in  their  childhood. 

4.  It  is  every  thing  to  his  people,  that  their  own  God 


12  CONQUEST   OF   CANAAN. 

should  exhort  them  to  "  be  strong  and  of  good  courage  " 
(vs.  6,  7,  9).  How  ought  such  words  to  inspire  their 
souls  and  tone  up  their  faith  to  perfect  assurance ! 

5.  With  God  on  their  side,  what  have  his  people  ever 
to  fear?  What  can  they  not  achieve  against  any  foe, 
in  the  face  of  any  obstacles,  however  weak  they  may  be 
in  themselves  apart  from  God's  strength  given  them  in 
their  need? 

6.  Though  the  scenes  before  them  were  in  the  highest 
degree  exciting,  yet  God  expected  them  to  be  cool,  con- 
siderate, studiously  careful  to  keep  the  book  of  his  law 
in  their  mouth  and  in  their  heart,  meditating  thereon 
day  and  night  (v.  8)  ;  for  when  God  comes  so  very  near 
to  his  people  for  their  help,  it  behooves  them  to  walk 
softly  and  solemnly  before  him,  holding  their  mind  to 
most  implicit  obedience  to  his  revealed  will,  ever  wake- 
ful to  learn  what  this  will  of  God  as  to  their  duty  may  be. 

Next,  we  have  (Josh.  2)  the  mission  of  the  two  spies  sent 
by  Joshua  "  to  view  the  land,  even  Jericho."  Apparently 
this  was  a  military  movement,  wise  and  forethoughtful; 
for  a  strongl}^  walled  city  of  the  enemj^,  eight  miles  from 
the  point  of  crossing  the  Jordan,  might  sharply  contest 
the  passage.  If  the  men  of  Canaan  had  the  heart  to 
defend  their  country  against  this  invasion,  would  they 
not  muster  at  the  fords  of  Jordan  with  their  best  forces? 
Yet  this  mission  of  the  spies  was  not  merely  a  thing  of 
military  policy,  it  was  j^et  more  a  movement  of  God. 
His  hand  was  in  it.  It  served  to  show  that  this  time — 
far  otherwise  than  on  the  former  mission  of  spies — the 
panic  is  all  on  the  other  side.  Who  guided  these  two 
spies  to  the  harlot  Rahab's  house,  the  history  saith  not; 
but  plainly  God's  hand  was  in  tliis  also.  From  her 
they  learned  that  the  men  of  Jericho  had  heard  of  the 
fall  of  Sihon  and  Og  of  Bashan  ;  had  heard  also  of  God's 
great  judgments  on  Egypt  and  of  his  marvelous  pres- 
ence with  Israel  through  all  her  wilderness  wanderings, 
and  that  their  hearts  melted  witli  fear  and  dread  till 
there  remained  no  more  spirit  or  courage  in  any  man 
of  them  as  against  Israel,  for  they  saw  that  the  mighty 
God  was  with  them. 

Of  the  former  history  of  this  woman  of  Jericho  we 
know  nothing  beyond  what  is  told  in  that  one  sadly 
significant  word  "  the  harlot  Rahab."  But  on  this  record 
she  appears  a  woman  of  thoughtful,  vigorous,  independ- 


CROSSING   THE    JORDAN.  13 

ent  mind,  who  understood  well  the  public  feeling  in 
her  city  and  throughout  Canaan ;  who  had  formed  her 
own  conclusions  as  to  the  great  question  of  the  times, 
and  was  more  than  ready  in  the  face  of  some  present 
peril  to  cast  in  her  lot  with  Israel  on  the  side  of  Israel's 
God.  So  she  took  the  Hebrew  spies  to  her  house ;  skill- 
fully protected  them  through  their  then  present  perils, 
and  sent  them  to  their  people  in  safety.  We  notice 
that  in  stipulating  for  the  rescue  of  herself  and  house- 
hold when  the  city  should  fall,  she  enumerated  "  father 
and  mother,  brethren  and  sisters,  and  all  that  they  have," 
but  made  no  allusion  to  husband,  and  none  to  children. 
AVe  are  thankful  that  she  had  so  many  family  ties,  and 
a  nobler  nature  than  is  wont  to  appear  amid  such  sur- 
roundings— the  best  we  could  expect  in  a  penitent 
"  harlot."  Plans  for  her  rescue  ere  the  city  should  fall 
were  wisely  laid.  From  her  house  on  the  town-wall  a 
pendent  scarlet  thread  guided  the  spies  to  their  pro- 
tector, where  by  agreement  her  household  were  con- 
vened in  readiness;  and  they  were  put  in  safety  before 
the  city  fell.  This  history  leaves  her  with  the  state- 
ment (6:  25),  "Joshua  saved  Rahab  the  harlot  alive  and 
her  father's  house  and  all  that  she  had,  and  she  dwelleth 
in  Israel  unto  this  day,  because  she  hid  the  messengers 
whom  Joshua  sent  to  spy  out  Jericho."  To  the  gene- 
alogical table  of  Matthew  (chap.  1)  we  are  indebted  for 
the  further  fact  that  she  became  the  wife  of  Salmon, 
the  mother  of  Boaz,  the  grandmother  of  Jesse,  and  in 
the  fourth  generation  the  maternal  ancestor  of  David. 
There  was  grand  material  in  her,  which,  sanctified  by 
her  faith,  made  her  truly  a  mother  in  Israel. 

The  Crossing  of  the  Jordan. 

The  time  in  the  year  for  crossing  the  Jordan  was  fixed 
forethoughtfully  in  the  early  spring.  True,  Jordan  was 
then  at  high  flood ;  the  melting  of  the  snows  of  Lebanon 
caused  Jordan  to  flow  all  his  banks;*  but  this  made 

"■••  The  usual  width  of  the  Jordan  at  this  point  may  be  one  hundred 
feet;  its  depth  eight  or  ten.  When  the  Israelites  passed  it,  its  width 
is  supposed  to  have  been  twelve  hundred  feet.  The  waters  set  back 
to  Zaretan  and  Adam,  near  Beth-shean,  thirty-five  or  forty  miles  dis- 
tant." (See  Coleman's  Historical  Text  Book  and  Atlas  of  Biblical 
Geography,  p.  83.) 


14  CROSSING   THE   JORDAN. 

the  miracle  the  more  signal,  and  the  prestige  of  God's 
present  hand  became  the  greater  and  to  the  Canaanites 
the  more  appalling.  The  tenth  day  of  the  first  month 
was  the  eventful  one— four  da3's  before  their  feast  of 
the  Passover,  and  among  the  first  days  of  the  barley 
harvest. 

The  preceding  night  they  encamped  on  the  river 
bank.  The  grand  scene  of  crossing  the  Jordan  bed  puts 
the  ark  of  the  covenant  in  the  foreground.  The  priests 
bearing  the  ark  came  into  the  water's  edge,  dipping 
their  feet  in  the  Jordan ;  then  the  waters  stood  as  if  a 
dam  were  suddenly  dropped  across  the  entire  river-bed; 
the  waters  from  above  set  back,  piling  themselves  higher 
and  higher  through  all  that  momentous  day ;  while  the 
waters  below  that  crossing  line  flowed  on  and  away, 
leaving  the  river-bed  dry.  The  priests  held  their  posi- 
tion supporting  the  ark  of  God  till  the  hosts  of  Israel  had 
gone  over,  and  then  brought  up  the  rear.  When  night- 
fall came  over  Israel  they  were  in  the  long-promised 
land.  They  had  crossed  the  Jordan.  They  had  seen  its 
waters  mounting  up  higher  and  higher  on  their  right 
all  the  day ;  but  the  glorious  ark  of  God  stood  like  a 
breast-work  of  the  Almighty,  and  not  a  rill,  not  a  drop, 
could  force  itself  down  upon  their  crossing  host  till  the 
last  man  had  passed  over  and  till  the  feet  of  the  priests 
who  bore  the  ark  were  high  on  the  Canaan  side.  Then 
the  hosts  of  Israel  were  not  only  in  Canaan,  but  were 
there  with  one  more  fresh  testimony  that  their  God  was 
with  them.  Eventful  days  were  before  them;  scenes 
of  war  and  blood  were  in  prospect ;  but  the  men  of  faith 
throughout  all  the  camp  of  Israel  sang  their  evening 
song  with  glad  heart  and  rested  on  their  arms  feeling 
that  it  was  enough  for  them  that  their  God  was  there ; 
had  brought  them  into  his  own  land  of  promise,  and 
would  carry  the  work  of  its  conquest  through  in  his  own 
time  and  way. 

AVe  are  in  no  danger  of  overestimating  either  the  in- 
trinsic interest  or  the  moral  significance  of  this  grand 
event.  Let  us  remember  how  many  slow  moving  gen- 
erations of  the  children  of  Abraham  had  held  Canaan 
in  distant  prospect  and  in  more  or  less  confident  hope. 
Now  they  are  there — and  there,  by  what  stupendous 
agencies — through  what  astounding  scenes!  How  they 
must  have  looked  up  to  that  solid  wall  of  waters  piling 


MEMORIAL   STONES.  15 

itself  high  and  more  high  during  all  that  memorable 
day  in  which  full  three  millions  of  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren w^ere  crossing  over  into  Canaan !  What  child  even 
of  that  crossing  host  could  ever  forget  the  scene  ?  How 
must  the  people  have  been  impressed  with  a  sense  of 
the  power  of  their  own  God — that  God  Avho  had  given 
them  a  symbol  of  his  presence  in  the  ark  of  his 
covenant ! 

Observe  that  this  crossing  was  "  right  over  against 
Jericho  " — as  if  intentionally  located  almost  under  the 
very  ejQ  of  that  first  strongly  walled  city  of  Canaan. 
But  they  had  not  the  least  reason  to  fear  the  armed 
men  or  the  strong  walls  of  Jericho.  The  fear  was  now 
on  the  other  side.  When  his  people  have  faith  and 
walk  humbly  before  him,  God  has  reserved  power 
enough  to  bring  out  in  their  behalf,  so  that  they  often 
need  only  stand  still  and  see  the  salvation  of  God. 
This  was  the  beginning  of  God's  glorious  deeds  for  his 
people  toward  the  possession  of  Canaan — the  first,  but 
not  the  last. 

Memorial  Stones. 

Such  an  event  was  w^orthy  of  commemoration.  It  ought 
never  to  be  forgotten.  Stones  have  often  served  the 
dying  generations  of  men  for  a  memorial.  A  pile  of  them, 
even  though  they  hold  no  written  letters,  may  hold  a 
tradition  of  their  significance  age  after  age.  The  num- 
ber twelve  was  suggestive  of  the  number  of  their  tribes ; 
therefore,   twelve   stones   were    placed   together   for  a 

memorial. It  should  be  noticed  that  this  memorial 

was  duplicated.  There  w^ere  two  such  memorial  piles ; 
one  on  the  east  of  Jordan,  and  one  on  the  west ;  the  former 
on  the  spot  where  the  feet  of  the  priests  first  touched 
the  waters — that  is,  at  high  water  mark  on  the  east 
side  of  the  river,  and  at  the  point  of  their  crossing. 
As  these  stones  were  at  hand  and  needed  no  transporta- 
tion, it  is  said  (4 :  9)  that  Joshua  set  them  up. 
Obviously  they  would  serve  a  threefold  purpose ;  to 
indicate  high  water  mark ;  also  the  place  of  crossing ; 
and  to  provide  a  memorial   which  the  tribes  on  the. 

east  of  Jordan  might  consider  as  theirs. The  second 

memorial  pile  cost  more  labor.  Twelve  men,  one  from 
each   tribe,  were    selected   and   ordered  to  pass  over 


16  CIRCUMCISION,    THE    PASSOVER. 

before  the  ark,  and  take  each  a  stone  from  the  midst 
of  the  river  channel,  and  bear  it  to  the  place  of  their  first 
encampment,  viz.,  Gilgal,  about  five  miles  from  the 
Jordan,  on  the  rising  bluff  which  overlooks  the  Jordan 
vale  and  river.  This  memorial  pile  was  readily  acces- 
sible to  the  tribes  on  the  west  of  Jordan,  and  from  the 
manner  of  its  construction  would  hold  within  itself 
traditionary  memories  likely  to  endure  from  age 
to  age  among  the  Hebrews  of  Canaan.  Gilgal  con- 
tinued for  several  years  to  be  the  head-quarters  and 
fortified  camp  of  Joshua  and  his  host.  This  memorial 
pile  stood  for  ages  to  suggest  to  the  youth  of  Canaan 
the  inquiry,  What  mean  these  stones  ?  and  to  afford 
to  Hebrew  fathers  the  opportunity   of  repeating   and 

so  perj^etuating   the   ancient  story. So  let  all   the 

great  works  of  God  be  held  forever  in  the  hearts  of  his 
people.  It  is  wholesome  to  fathers  to  repeat  the  story, 
wholesome  to  children  to  hear  it  and  jDlace  it  deep  in 
their  memories,  till  they  in  their  turn  become  fathers 
and  tell  it  to  their  children. 

The  historian  (chap.  5)  records  two  facts,  manifestly 
correlated  to  each  other.  First,  that  the  tidings  of 
this  wonderful  passage  over  the  dry  bed  of  the  Jordan 
flashed  over  the  hills  and  valleys  of  Canaan,  bearing 
terror  and  dismay  to  all  hearts.  Alas,  said  they,  who 
can  stand  before  this  mighty  God  of  Israel!  "Their 
hearts  melted,  neither  was  there  spirit  in  them  any 

more,  because  of  the  children  of  Israel"  (5  :  1). The 

second  fact  is  that  Joshua  proceeded  to  the  most  un- 
military  act  of  circumcising  all  his  men  of  war — indeed 
all  the  children  of  Israel.*  With  apparently  not  the 
least  fear  lest  the    Canaanites    should  muster    their 

*  The  sense  of  the  passage  (5 :  9)  has  been  earnestly  debated.  "  The 
Lord  said  to  Joshua,  this  day  have  I  rolled  away  the  reproach  of 
Egypt  from  off  you:    Wherefore  the  name  of  the  place  was  called 

Gilgal  (the  rolling  place)  unto  this  day." The  best  view  assumes 

that  Egypt  had  reproached  Israel  with  their  failure  to  reach  Canaan 
during  the  long  wanderings  of  forty  years  in  the  wilderness,  and 
that  God  was  then  to  roll  off  this  reproach  by  visibly  taking  the  peo- 
ple again  into  covenant  relation  with  himself,  indicated  by  this  cir- 
cumcision, and  so  Avould  give  them  Canaan.  That  circumcision  had 
.been  omitted  in  the  wilderness,  especially  after  the  unbelief  in  the 
matter  of  the  spies,  implied  that  God's  covenant  with  his  people  was 
temporarily  inoperative  because  of  that  unbelief.  At  Gilgal  the 
Lord  was  returning  to  them  in  his  great  mercy. 


THE    CAPTAIN    OF   THE    LORd's   HOST.  17 

forces  and  fall  suddenly  upon  them — with  a  deep  feel- 
ing obviously  that  his  first  concern  was  to  be  right 
before  God,  and  to  have  all  his  soldiers  and  people  right 
in  heart  and  true  to  every  precept  of  their  God,  he  sus- 
pended all  military  movements ;  gave  his  enemies 
time  to  recover  from  their  panic ;  halted  his  army  not 
only  for  some  days  of  circumcision  but  for  the  feast  of 
the  Passover  seven  days — all  as  if  religion  was  indefinitely 
more  than  military  strategy — as  it  truly  was ! 

Let  us  note  that  this  Passover,  far  beyond  any 
other  yet,  was  suggestive  of  the  scenes  of  the  orig- 
inal institution  of  it  forty  years  before  —  on  that 
most  eventful  night  of  doom  to  Egypt,  but  of  joy- 
ful redemption  to  Israel.  The  redemption  begun  there 
in  Egypt  was  consummated,  in  a  measure,  here  in 
Canaan.  This  crossing  of  the  Jordan  must  have  sug- 
gested the  crossing  of  the  Red  Sea  by  their  fathers, 
three  days  after  the  first  Passover  night.  That 
earlier  crossing  put  the  Ked  Sea  between  them 
and  Egyptian  bondage :  this  latter  crossing  put 
the  Jordan  between  them  and  their  wilderness  life. 
The  most  precious  thought  of  all  would  be  that  God 
was  equally  in  both — his  uplifted  right  arm  was  made 
glorious  for  their  redemption,  both  there  and  here.  It 
must  have  been  inspiring  to  all  devout  souls  to  celebrate 
the  majesty  and  loving-kindness  of  their  fathers'  God. 

Among  the  new  experiences  of  their  Canaan  life  was 
a  supplj^of  bread  from  the  corn  (not  as  in  our  English 
"  the  old  corn,"  but  the  corn)  of  the  land.  The  manna 
ceased  as  suddenly  as  it  began.  Forty  j^ears  (less  one 
and  a  half  months)  it  had  been  the  nation's  bread, 
fresh  each  morning  (save  the  Sabbath)  from  God's 
lower  heavens.  The  period  of  its  fall  measured  their 
wilderness  life.     This  being  past  the  manna  ceased. 

Another  event  of  striking  significance  stands  in  the 
history  at  this  point.  While  Joshua  was  near  by 
Jericho,  apparently  alone,  taking  a  military  survey  of 
the  city  and  its  approaches,  suddenly  raising  his  eye, 
he  saw  a  man  over  against  him  with  a  drawn  sword  in 
his  hand.  True  to  the  instincts  of  his  military  spirit, 
and  with  apparently  no  sensation  of  fear,  Joshua  ad- 
vances near  him  and  puts  the  main  question — demand- 
ing the  countersign — for  us?  or  against  us?     Friend  art 

thou ;    or   foe  ? As    promptly   the    answer    comes : 

2 


18  FALL   OF  JERICHO. 

^'Nay,  but  as  Captain  of  the  Lord's  host  am  I  now 
come."  Instantly  Joshua  recognized  in  this  Personage 
his  divine  commander-in-chief;  and  prostrating  him- 
self in  worship,  asks — "What  saith  m}^  Lord  unto  his 
servant?"  The  Captain  of  the  Lord's  host  made  this 
his  first  reply:  "Loose  thy  shoe  from  off  thy  foot,  for 
the  place  Avhereon  thou  standest  is  holy;  and  Joshua 
did  so."     His  further  rejily  appears  in  chap.  6:  2-5. 

This  suggests  to  our  minds  the  scene  with  Moses 

at  the  burning  bush ;  much  more  surely  must  it  have 

made  the  same  suggestion  to  Joshua. It  would  seem 

to  have  been  the  main  purpose  of  this  manifestation  to 
give  Joshua  a  sensible  and  vivid  impression  of  his  su- 
perior officer.  To  the  day  of  his  death  let  him  never 
be  tempted  to  think  of  himself  as  at  the  head  of  the 
armies  of  Israel.  Let  him  never  forget  the  presence, 
the  look,  the  voice,  the  words  of  his  supreme  command- 
ing officer,  the  real  "Captain  of  the  Lord's  host." 
Critics  have  raised  the  question,  Who  was  this  Person- 
age?    Was  he  human,  angelic,  or  divine? But  one 

answer  it  seems  to  me  can  be  given :  Divine  ;  the  same 
who  spake  to  Moses  at  the  bush ;  the  same  whose 
record  and  description  appears  in  Ex.  23 :  20-23 ;  "  Be- 
hold, I  send  an  angel  before  thee ;  beware  of  him  and 
obey  his  voice ;  provoke  him  not,  for  he  will  not  par- 
don your  transgressions ;  for  my  name  is  in  him.^^ 

Jericho  Falls. 

According  to  the  principles  of  military  tactics  this 
strongly  walled  city  ought  to  have  commanded  the 
passage  of  the  Jordan.  It  failed  to  make  the  least 
demonstration  in  that  direction.  Yet  Joshua  found  tlie 
city  standing  in  its  strength,  too  near  his  encampment 
at  Gilgal  (which  lay  between  Jericho  and  the  Jordan), 
and  too  important  in  every  respect  to  be  passed.  What 
shall  be  done  with  it? 

The  problem  must  come  to  issue.  What  of  these 
strongly  walled  cities  of  Canaan  ?  Is  this  undisciplined 
and  half-armed  host  of  Israel  equal  to  their  subjuga- 
tion? With  none  of  the  powerful  enginery  produced 
by  military  science  for  the  assault  of  strongly  walled 
cities;  with  no  battering  rams,  no  catapults,  and  far 
indeed  from  having  field  artillery  and  Rodman  guns — 


FALL   OF   JERICHO.  19 

what  can  they  do  before  the  walled  cities  of  Canaan? 
We  shall  see. 

Here  also,  as  in  the  crossing  of  the  Jordan,  the  ark 
of  the  covenant  appears  in  the  foreground.  Seven 
priests  surround  it  with  rams'  horns.  Its  place  is  as- 
signed between  the  battalions  that  precede  and  those 
that  follow  and  bring  up  the  rear.  The  whole  armed 
host  of  Israel  is  put  in  motion — one  half  to  precede  and 
the  other  to  follow  the  sacred  ark  and  its  attendant 
priests.  The  first  day  they  march  around  the  city 
once,  the  priests  blowing  their  rams'  horns,  but  every 
human  tongue  silent ;  and  return  to  their  camp  for  the 
night.  Five  more  days  they  encompass  the  city  daily  in 
the  same  marching  order — all  silent  save  the  horn-blow- 
ing.  What  did  the  men  of  Jericho  think  of  this  new 

and  strange  type  of  tactics?  Had  they  ever  seen  a 
walled  city  invested  after  this  sort  ?  Even  if  they  felt 
somewhat  uneasy  the  first  day  and  the  second,  did  not 
their  fears  begin  to  subside  and  the  whole  movement 
begin  to  appear  farcical  and  ridiculous  before  the  event- 
ful seventh  day  opened  upon  them?  Be  this  as  it  may, 
the  seventh  day  came.  Up  betimes  in  the  morning 
under  fresh  orders,  moving  at  double-quick,  they  en- 
compass the  city  seven  times— every  rams'  horn  blow- 
ing, but  all  human  voices  silent  till  the  word  of  com- 
mand resounds  through  their  marching  hosts,  shout! 
Then  the  welkin  rang  with  the  shouts  of  victors  in 
battle ! 

All  suddenly  the  entire  wall  of  the  city  is  flat  upon 
the  ground.  Wheeling  toward  the  city  from  every 
point,  armed  men  rush  over  the  fallen  walls;  with 
sword  and  fire  they  lay  the  city  utterly  desolate.  All 
its  silver  and  gold,  all  its  vessels  of  brass  and  of  iron, 
are  consecrated  to  the  Lord  and  come  into  his  treasury  ; 
all  else  was  doomed  to  destruction.  Jericho  is  no  more  ! 
Its  fall  gave  new  impulse  to  the  panic  which  shook  the 
stoutest  hearts  among  the  men  of  Canaan.  They  could 
not  but  see  that  a  new  power  was  among  them  and  that 
their  city-walls  were  of  no  particular  account  before  this 
strange  people.  AVe  may  imagine  how  anxiously  they 
are  saying — Who  can  stand  before  this  unknown  enemy 
and  their  more  wonderful  and  wonder-working  God  ? — 
It  may  be  noted  that  throughout  the  subsequent  history 
of  the  conquest  of  Canaan,  the  siege  of  walled  towns  is 


20  FALL   OF    JERICHO. 

scarcely  noticed.  This  first  nicaster-stroke  of  divine 
policy  seems  to  have  made  city-walls,  gates,  and  bars 
practically  useless. 

Some  may  raise  the  question  (more  curious  than 
wise)— ^What  could  be  the  use  of  all  that  marching  and 
horn-blowing?  Why  was  not  one  day's  investing  as 
good  as  seven  ?  And  why  a  seven-fold  encompassing 
on  the  seventh  day? 

To  these  questions  it  might  suffice  to  answer  in  gen- 
eral, that  the  Lord  has  his  own  thoughts  in  regard  to 
the  preliminary  service  or  doing  which  shall  precede  a 
miracle.  Very  possibly  we  should  fail  to  fathom  all 
those  thoughts  if  we  should  attempt  it.  The  requiring 
of  some  human  activity  in  connection  with  God's  mir- 
acles has  been  the  rule — "  Go,  Naaman,  and  wash  thou 
in  Jordan  seven  times  and  thou  shalt  be  clean  " — of  thy 
leprosy  (2  Kings  5 :  10).  To  spit  on  the  ground — to 
make  clay  of  the  spittle,  and  rub  it  upon  the  eyes  of  the 
man  born  blind  and  then  to  bid  him  "  Go,  wash  in  the 
pool  of  Siloam  " — preceded  his  restoration  to  sight ; — but 
not  at  all  as  natural  remedial  agencies.  Those  ante- 
cedents stood  to  the  miracle  in  moral  relations  only. 
We  may  suppose,  not  unreasonably,  that  God  proposes 
in  these  preliminaries  a  certain  trial  of  human  faith. 
In  this  case  the  Lord  was  doubtless  quite  willing  that 
the  men  of  Jericho  should  have  their  attention 
thoroughly  aroused  to  these  transactions  before  the 
fatal  hour.  In  general,  it  is  a  thing  of  wise  economy 
not  to  perform  a  miracle  until  every  thing  has  been 
done  to  give  it  a  telling  moral  power.  Let  there  be  no 
waste  of  force  even  though  the  power  that  works  mir- 
acles be  (as  to  the  arm  of  the  Almighty)  so  infinitely 
abundant  that  we  might  suppose  it  cheap.  The  laws 
of  the  human  mind  being  what  they  are,  divine  wisdom 
will  suggest  a  close  economy  in  the  putting  forth  of 
miraculous  powers  lest  they  lose  their  due  impression. 

Achan. 

The  seventh  chapter  discloses  a  scene  of  trouble. 
Suddenly  the  progress  of  Israel's  victorious  arms  is 
blocked;  their  prestige  of  victory  is  dimmed;  their 
bright  prospects  are  clouded  over.  The  feeling  in  the 
most  sagacious  minds  is  scarcely  less  than  consterna- 


ACHAN   AND  AI.  21 

tion. What  has  haiDpened?    The  warriors  of  Israel 

are  smitten  and  flying  before  the  men  of  Ai.*  Joshua 
falls  on  his  face  in  agony.  This  is  so  unlike  his  antic- 
ipations! He  had  felt  sure  that  God  was  with  him 
and  with  his  army;  but  this  appears  quite  otherwise. 
He  cries  to  the  Lord  for  help.  Nay  more;  he  thinks 
this  a  matter  of  most  serious  moment.  We  read: 
"Joshua  rent  his  clothes  and  fell  to  the  earth  upon  his 
face  before  the  ark  of  the  Lord  until  the  eventide,  he 
and  all  the  elders  of  Israel,  and  put  dust  upon  their 
heads.  And  Joshua  said,  Alas !  O  Lord  God  !  where- 
fore hast  thou  at  all  brought  this  people  over  Jordan  to 
deliver  us  into  the  hands  of  the  Amorites  to  destroy  us  ? 
O  Lord,  what  shall  we  say  when  Israel  turneth  their 
backs  before  their  enemies?"  To  which  he  adds,  quite 
in  the  spirit  of  those  great  pra3^ers  of  Moses  for  Israel ; 
"  For  the  Canaanites  will  hear  of  it,  and  will  environ 
us  round,  and  cut  off  our  name  from  the  earth,  and  ichat 
wilt  thou  do  for  thy  great  namef^^  Instantly  the  Lord 
replies  :  "  Get  thee  up  ;  wherefore  liest  thou  thus  upon 
thy  face  ?  Israel  hath  sinned  ;  they  have  transgressed  my 
covenant;  they  have  taken  of  the  accursed  thing;  have 
stolen  and  dissembled,  and  have  put  it  even  among 
their  own  stuff.  Therefore  it  is  that  Israel  could  not 
stand  before  their  enemies;  neither  will  I  be  with  you 
any  more  except  ye  destroy  the  accursed  thing  from 
among  you.''  (vs.  6-12.)  To  make  the  strongest  possible 
impression  upon  all  minds,  both  of  the  enormity  of  this 
sin,  of  the  purity  of  their  own  holy  Lord  God,  and  of 
his  all-searching  eye  before  which  no  sin  however  con- 
cealed from  men  can  be  hidden,  the  whole  people  are 
brought  up  standing  before  him,  and  by  the  sacred  lot 
first,  from  all  the  tribes  Judah  is  taken ;  then  onward 
by  families,  by  households,  and  lastly  man  by  man, 
until  at  length  the  guilty  offender  stood  out  before  the 
assembled  hosts  of  Israel — Achan,  by  name  ;  the  sinner 
who  had  brought  this  great  trouble  upon  Israel.  To 
him  Joshua  said:  "My  son,  give  glory  to  the  Lord  God 
of  Israel,  and  make  confession  unto  him;  and  tell  me 
now  what  thou  hast  done ;  hide  it  not  from  me."  Achan 

*  The  site  of  Ai  has  been  ideijtified  by  Dr.  Robinson,  twelve  miles 
north-west  from  Jericho ;  ten  miles  north-east  from  Jerusalem  ;  three 
miles  south-east  from  Bethel.  The  valley  of  Achor  was  a  short  dis- 
tance south  of  ancient  Jericho.     (Coleman,  p.  84.) 


22  ACHAN. 

confesses :  "  Indeed,  I  have  sinned  aojainst  the  Lord  God 
of  Israel,  and  thus  have  I  done :  When  I  saw  among 
the  spoils  a  goodly  Babylonish  garment,  and  two  hun- 
dred shekels  of  silver,  and  a  wedge  of  gold  of  fifty  shek- 
els weight,  then  I  coveted  them,  and  took  them,  and 
behold,  they  are  hid  in  the  earth  in  the  midst  of  my 

tent,  and  the  silver  under  it." The  stolen  goods  are 

soon  found  and  brought  out  before  all  the  people  ;  Achan 
and  all  his  were  brought  down  into  the  valley  of  Achor 
[^trouble]  and  there  stoned  with  stones  and  burned  with 
iire  after  being  stoned.  A  great  heap  of  stones  was 
raised  over  him — a  memorial  of  his  awful  doom. 
"  So  the  Lord  turned  from  the  fierceness  of  his  anger.'' 
(7:26). 

The  reader  will  notice  some  striking  points  of  anal- 
ogy between  this  case  of  Achan  at  the  opening  of  the 
Canaan  dispensation,  and  the  case  of  Ananias  and  Sap- 
phira  at  the  opening  of  the  Christian  age.  Covetous- 
ness,  the  love  of  money,  was  the  root-sin  in  each  case. 
The  demand  for  fearful  judgment  and  vigorous  retribu- 
tion in  the  outset  to  head  off  a  great  temptation  and  to 
protect  the  people  of  God  in  scenes  of  fearful  peril,  con- 
stitute yet  other  points  of  obvious  analogy.  There  are 
times  and  seasons  when  justice  of  the  sterner  type 
toward  individual  offenders  is  the  only  real  mercy  to 
the  masses. 

It  may  seem  to  some  readers  that  this  punishment 
was  excessively  severe,  and  that  the  occasion  scarcely 
justified  such  manifestations  of  God's  displeasure.  In 
reply  to  such  views  I  suggest  that  it  behooves  us  to 
approach  such  a  question  with  reverent  reserve,  and  to 
beware  of  any  rash  thought  or  word  derogatory  to  the 
Most  High,  not  because  it  is  intrinsically  improper  to 
exercise  the  sense  of  justice  and  right  which  God  him- 
self has  given  us,  but  because  we  are  very  liable  to  take 
limited,  imperfect,  very  inadequate,  or  even  distorted 
views  of  the  case.  Let  us  never  assume  that  God's 
views  are  short-sighted  or  his  judgments  morally  per- 
verse !  In  both  these  directions,  men  may  err,  and  do ; 
but  God,  never ! 

In  regard  to  the  case  of  Achan,  it  is  within  our  lim- 
ited vision  to  see  if  we  will  that  the  Hebrew  people 
were  in  most  critical  circumstances.  They  were  just 
entering  upon  a  scene  of  great  and  searching  tempta- 


AC  HAN.  23 

tion.  The  people  and  cities  of  Canaan  were  rich ;  the 
Israelites  were  poor.  Canaan  had  the  resources  of  a 
somewhat  high  civilization ;  gold,  silver,  vessels  of  hrass 
and  of  iron;  goodly  Babylonish  garments — all  dazzling 
before  the  eyes  of  a  people  forty  years  in  a  barren  wil- 
derness, and  antecedently  four  hundred  years  afflicted 
in  Egypt.  Now,  suppose  the  Lord  had  given  them  free 
license  to  plunder,  to  steal  and  hide,  and  appropriate  all 
they  could  lay  hands  on !  This  movement  for  the  con- 
quest of  Canaan  would  have  become  a  savage,  plundering, 
marauding  expedition,  not  a  whit  above  the  demoral- 
izing wars  of  all  barbarous  tribes  upon  nations  largely 
in  advance  of  themselves  in  wealth  and  luxury.  Could 
the  God  of  Israel  become  a  party  to  such  a  war  of  plun- 
der? Would  it  be  to  his  honor  to  fulfill  his  promise  of 
Canaan  to  the  godly  patriarchs  in  such  sort  as  this? 
Would  such  avarice,  and  theft,  and  selfishness  have  im- 
proved the  morals  and  the  piety  of  the  children  of 
Israel  ?     Would  such  license  to  his  people  have  inured 

to  the  honor  of  Israel's  God? And  yet  further;  these 

fascinating  spoils— these  glittering  prizes  of  gold  and 
silver  and  these  ornaments  of  the  cultured  Canaanites— 
were  linked  in  on  every  hand  with  idolatry.  Art  and 
wealth,  in  Canaan  as  in  every  other  heathen  nation, 
lent  their  power  to  augment  the  attractions  toward 
idol-worship.  If  God  would  shut  this  flood-gate  of  idol- 
atrous influence  sharply  down,  he  could  not  have  done 
less  than  he  did  in  the  case  of  Achan — make  the  first 
offender  a  fearful  example  of  severe  and  terrible,  but 
just  and  righteous,  punishment. 

But  these  considerations,  though  in  point  and  of 
great  force  to  show  the  aggravation  of  Achan's  sin,  yet 
fall  far  short  of  the  whole  truth.  The  strongest  points 
of  the  case  appear  in  the  special  features  as  given  in 
the  history.  God  lent  his  miraculous  power  for  the  de- 
struction of  Jericho  on  the  special  stipulation  ("  cove- 
nant "  he  calls  it  in  7 :  11)  that  the  city  should  be 
devoted— it  and  all  therein  to  the  Lord;  the  sense  of 
this  devotement  being  that  whatever  was  appropriate 
should  go  into  the  treasury  of  the  Lord,  and  all  else 
be  given  up  to  absolute  destruction.  The  Hebrew  word 
(cherem  or  hherem),  translated  either  "devoted"  or  "ac- 
cursed," is  used  continually  in  this  record  (6 :  17,  18, 
and  7 :  1,  11).     Moreover  it  was  most  explicitly  stipu- 


24  ACHAN. 

lated  that  all  the  silver  and  gold  and  vessels  of  brass 
and  iron  were  consecrated  wholly  unto  the  Lord  (6: 
19) ;  "  they  shall  come  into  the  treasury  of  the  Lord." 
Joshua  and  the  people  so  understood  it,  and  acted  accord- 
ingly, for  the  history  is  definite  :  "  They  burnt  the  city 
with  fire,  and  all  that  was  therein;  only  the  silver  and 
the  gold  and  the  vessels  of  brass  and  of  iron  they  put 

into  the  treasury  of  the  house  of  the  Lord"  (6:  24). 

Yet  further ;  the  utmost  pains  were  taken  to  have  this 
matter  well  understood  beforehand.  The  preliminary 
precautions  ran — "  And  ye  in  any  wise  keep  yourselves 
from  the  accursed  thing  lest  ye  make  yourselves  accursed 
when  ye  take  of  the  accursed  thing,  and  make  the  camp 

of  Israel  a  curse,  and  trouble  it "  (6 :  18). The  sin  of 

Achan  had,  therefore,  these  points  of  highest  criminal- 
ity.  (a.)      It   was   a   "presumptuous   sin,"   against 

known  and  most  explicit  prohibition,  and  in  con- 
temptuous defiance  of  God's  authority  : (b.)     It  was 

sacrilege — stealing  from  God  ;  taking  property  that  was 
devoted  to  God  by  special  stipulation.  By  all  right- 
thinking  men  in  every  age,  this  sin  has  been  accounted 
as  of  the  highest  enormity.  To  this  it  may  be  added 
that  all  the  wealth  of  Jericho  and  the  city  itself  fell 
into  the  hand  of  Israel  by  special  miracle,  wrought  of 
God  under  these  express  stipulations. (c.)  God  be- 
ing their  Supreme  King,  the  sin  of  Achan  had  the 
crowning  element  of  being  high  treason. 

Contemplating  the  moral  applications  of  this  case, 
the  question  may  arise  :  What  bearing  has  it  upon  the 
responsibilities  of  associated  bodies  of  men  for  the  sins 

of   individual   members  of  the  association? Some 

bearing,  all  must  admit — at  least  a  bearing  in  some 
cases  and  under  some  circumstances.  The  principle 
which  underlies  this  case  certainly  may  apply  in 
other  cases.  But  obviously  much  will  depend  upon  the 
power  of  the  associated  body  (suppose  it  to  be  a  local 
church)  to  detect  and  prove  the  offense.  In  the  case 
of  Achan  the  Lord  interposed  to  detect  the  crime  and 
single  out  the  criminal ;  and  in  ways  which  we  can  not 
expect  him  to  repeat.  Yet  his  providences  are  various 
and  not  infrequently  put  their  finger  upon  the  Achan 
in  no  doubtful  way..  Or  the  offense  may  be  in  its 
nature  so  public  as  to  remove  all  doubt. 

Next  arises  the  question  of  power  to  deal  effectively 


ACHAN.  25 

with  the  offense.  When  offenses  and  scandals  occur  in 
a  local  church,  light  as  to  duty  is  sometimes  sought  by 
laying  the  case  alongside  of  this  case  of  Achan.  In 
this  comparison  there  may  be  danger  in  assuming  that 
the  same  sort  of  treatment  is  appropriate  in  these 
church  cases  as  in  that  case  in  ancient  Israel.  It  is 
not  well  to  forget  that  the  first  and  chief  responsibility 
of  a  church  to  its  erring  members  is  to  bring  them  to 
repentance— to  proceed  in  the  spirit  of  love  and  not  of 
sternness  (much  less  of  vindictiveness),  and  with  ten- 
derness, and  tears,  and  prayers,  labor  for  their  return  to 
Christ  and  righteousness.  The  highest  glory  of  church 
discipline  is  to  save,  not  to  root  out;  to  purify  the 
body,  not  by  amputation  of  its  members,  but  by  resto- 
ration to  soundness  and  life.  Resort  to  expulsion  should 
be  regarded  as  a  somewhat  humiliating  (certainly  a 
sad)  confession  by  the  church  of  the  impotence  of  her 

spiritual  forces. The  case  of  Achan  stood   in  such 

relations  to  Israel,  to  her  national  work  and  to  her 
national  exposure  to  idolatry,  that  nothing  short  of 
extreme  severity  could  be  rationalh^  thought  of.  It 
can  not  be  well  to  draw  inferences  from  such  a  case  to 
church  discipline  in  our  times  without  carefully  consid- 
ering the  wide  difference  between  that  case  and  these. 

And  yet  we  have  lessons  to  learn  from  the  case  of 

Achan.  As  every  individual  Christian  is  taught  in 
God's  Word  to  say — "  If  I  regard  iniquity  in  my  heart 
the  Lord  will  not  hear  my  prayer,"  so  every  church 
must  learn  to  say — If  we  tolerate  flagrant  scandalous 
sins  in  our  communion,  how  can  we  hope  that  God  will 
hear  our  church  prayers  and  bless  our  associated  labors? 
If  we  place  ourselves  in  such  relations  to  God  that  he 
can  not  bless  us  without  publicly  indorsing  the  scan- 
dalous lives  that  (in  a  supposed  case)  go  unrebuked 
among   us,  what  ought  we  to  expect  from  him   other 

than  his  frown  ? The  two  great  moral  lessons  taught 

for  all  time  by  this  case  of  Achan  are (a.)     That 

God  is  holy,  of  purer  eye  than  to  behold  iniquity  save 

with  abhorrence ; and   (b.)     That  men,  associated, 

may  become  responsible  to  a  certain  extent  for  the  sins 
of  their  individual  members,  so  that  the  innocent  must 
needs  suffer  with  and  for  the  guilty,  until  they  meet 
their  social  responsibilities  and  use  their  social  power 
in  solemn  fidelity  against  scandalous  sin  in  their  body. 


26  FALL  OF   AI. 


The  Fall  of  Ai  before  Israel. 

After  the  repulse  before  Ai  and  the  trouble  that  came 
of  Achan,  Joshua  and  his  army  needed  some  word  of 
encouragement.  God  gave  it.  Their  confident  assur- 
ance of  victor}^  had  received  a  painful  shock.  It  was 
vital  to  their  work  that  it  be  toned  up  again.  The 
Canaanites  had  now  for  the  time  the  prestige  of  vic- 
tory, and  would  therefore  be  formidable  in  battle.  No 
great  commander  ever  appreciated  better  than  Joshua 
how  greatly  success  in  war  depends  on  the  spirit — the 
courage,  the  real  expectation— of  both  the  officers  and 
the  fighting  men.  Consequently  he  advanced  upon  Ai 
with  the  greatest  caution.  He  said  to  himself — I  must 
have  victory  here  at  any  cost.  Chap.  8  informs  us  of 
his  well-laid  stratagem  and  of  its  complete  success — till 
Ai  lay  in  ashes — an  heap  of  desolation  forever. 

Ebal  and  Gerizim. 

This  done,  we  note  another  brief  pause  in  his  mili- 
tary operations  to  give  due  attention  to  certain 
religious  duties,  enjoined  through  Moses  shortly  before 
his  death  (see  Deut.  11:  29,  30,  and  27:  lylS),  viz., 
the  erection  of  an  altar  on  Mt.  Ebal;  the  setting  up  of 
great  plastered  stones,  the  writing  of  the  law  upon 
them,  and  the  solemn  public  proclamation  of  the  bless- 
ings and  curses  from  these  specified  mountains,  Ebal 
and  Gerizim,'^'  in  the  presence  and  with  the  response  of 
all  the  people.     (See  Deut.  27  and  28. 

This  was  now  done,  also  a  copy  of  the  law  of  Moses  (sup- 
poseably  as  repeated  in  abbreviated  form  Deut.  12-26^ 
was  written  on  plastered  stones  as  Moses  had  prescribea. 
Much  as  the  laws  of  war  might  demand  that  he  follow  up 
this  last  victory  with  telling  blows,  swift  and  fast  fall- 
ing, Joshua  well  knew  that  religious  duties  were  every 
thing  to  his  right  standing  with  God,  not  to  say  also  to 
the  intelligent,  well-grounded  assurance  of  his  army. 
It  was  not,  therefore,  lost  time  or  lost  opportunity  for 

■-••  Geographically  these  summits  were  near  Shechem,  twenty  to 
twenty-five  miles  north  from  Ai.  They  rise  800  feet  above  the  valley 
between  them,  this  valley  being  about  one-third  of  a  mile  in  width, 
and  from  two  to  three  miles  in  length. 


EBAL   AND   GERIZIM.  27 

them  to  pause  for  a  fresh  renewal  of  their  covenant 
before  the  Lord.* 

Recurring  to  the  transaction  itself,  we  have  a 
grand  theme  for  the  imagination  to  paint.  Think  of 
600,000  adult  men,  besides  women  and  children,  mar- 
shaled in  equal  divisions  on  two  opposing  mountains, 
800  feet  high  and  one-third  of  a  mile  from  one  sum- 
mit to  the  other;  the  ark  surrounded  by  the  priests 

*It  has  been  doubted  by  able  critics  whether  the  passage  (8 :  30-35) 
— of  the  scenes  at  Mt.  Ebal  and  Gerizim — is  in  its  chronological  place 
immediately  after  Ai  and  before  the  deception  of  the  Gibeonites. 
This  question  not  being  of  very  great  importance,  let  it  suffice  to  say 
briefly: — That  the  objections  to  this  chronological  location  of  the 
scene  are  mainly — that  at  this  stage  Joshua  had  not  penetrated  into 
Canaan  so  far ;  that  in  Chap.  9 :  6,  and  10 :  6,  7,  15,  43,  we  find  him 
still  in  camp  at  Gilgal ;  that  the  distance  from  Gilgal  to  Shechem 
(twenty-five  to  thirty  miles)  is  too  great  to  admit  the  probability  that 
Joshua  and  all  his  people  traversed  it,  going  and  so  soon  returning, 
for  the  mere  purpose  of  performing  this  religious  service  at  that 
designated  place;  not  to  say  that,  not  having  at  that  time  subjugated 
either  the  powerful  Southern  Kings  or  the  Northern,  it  would  have 

been  in  a  military  point  of  view  unsafe. Moreover,  in  the  version- 

of  the  Seventy  there  is  some  diversity  in  the  location  of  this  passage, 
some  of  the  manuscripts  placing  it  between  vs.  2  and  3  of  chap.  9. 

In  favor  of  retaining  the  order  of  our  text  and  of  locating  the 
scene  at  Ebal  and  Gerizim  chronologically  as  here,  may  be  urged — 
(1.)  That  the  compilation  of  the  materials  of  this  book  should  be 
presumed  to  be  correct,  unless  very  important  reasons  appear  to  the 

contrary. (2.)  That  the  divine  command  through   Moses   (Deut. 

11:  29,  and  27:  2,  4,  12)  required  this  service  on  Mts.  Ebal  and 
Gerizim  very  soon  (not  to  say  immediately)  after  their  arrival  in 
Canaan.  "  When  the  Lord  hath  brought  thee  into  the  land,"  etc., 
thou  shalt  put  the  blessing  upon  Mt.  Gerizim,  etc.  "And  it  shall  be 
on  the  day  when  ye  shall  pass  over  Jordan,  thou  shalt  set  up  great 
stones,  plaster  them  with  plaster,  and  write  upon  them  all  the  words 
of  this  law."  *'  It  shall  be  when  ye  be  gone  over  Jordan,  ye  shall 
set  up  these  stones  in  Mt,  Ebal,"  etc.  Doubtless  Joshua  and  the  peo- 
ple were  in  the  mood  of  prompt  obedience  to  this  word  of  the  Lord 
through  Moses,  and  therefore  could  not  (as  some  critics  suppose)  have 
delayed  to  perform  it  until  after  the  great  battles  recorded  in  Chaps. 
10  and  11.  The  command  was  definite  to  do  this  after  going  over 
Jordan,  not  after  they  had  subdued  the  Canaanities.  In  the  order  of 
reason  and  religion  it  came  before  the  subjugation  of  Canaan,  not 

after. (3.)  The  objection  on  the  score  of  safety  in  a  military  point 

of  view  is  of  no  account,  because  the  fall  of  Ai  had  given  fresh  force 
to  the  panic  of  the  armies  of  Canaan,  and  because  God  never  failed 
to  shield  his  people  from  sudden  assault  while  they  were  engaged  in 
special  and  required  religious  solemnities.  For  these  reasons, 
although  this  view  as  well  as  the  other  has  its  difficulties,  I  prefer 
to  retain  the  chronological  order  as  in  our  version. 


28  EBAL  AND  GERIZIM. 

and  Levites  in  the  intermediate  valley;  the  solemn 
rehearsal  of  the  blessings  and  the  curses  in  tones  loud 
and  clear,  in  the  hearing  of  the  gathered  thousands; 
and  then  the  thundering  "  Amen,"  resounding  from 
both  mountain  summits :  —  What  could  have  been 
more  impressive !  How  must  this  scene  have  fixed  the 
attention,  especially  of  the  young,  and  solemnly  deep- 
ened the  conviction — This  law  is  our  law ;  these  bless- 
ings are  to  be  our  reward,  and  these  curses  our  doom,  ac- 
cording as  we  obey  or  disobey  this  law  of  our  own  holy 
Lord  God !  Whatever  power  of  impression  upon  the 
human  mind  is  possible  through  the  senses — the  eye, 
the  ear,  and  the  personal  utterance  of  awe-inspiring 
words — is  all  present  here  in  its  intensest  form.  Truly 
here  are  scenes  for  every  eye  to  see ;  sounds  for  every 
ear  to  hear;  scope  for  the  fullest  utterance  of  every 
human  voice.  Here  is  every  thing  to  bring  out  a 
volume  of  common  sympathy,  rolling  deep  and  strong, 
sustained  throughout  the  entire  transaction — the  whole 
to  be  remembered  through  all  future  years  as  the  great 

religious  meeting  of  their  lives. Are  there  any  lessons 

in  the  philosophy  of  religious  impression  for  us  to 
learn  from  this  national  assemblage  of  the  ten  thou- 
sands of  Israel  on  these  lofty  mountain  summits  for 
the  solemn  announcement  of  the  blessings  and  curses 
of  their  law  ? 

The  crafty  policy  of  the  Gibeonites^  (chap.  9)  affords 
strong  proof  that  fear  had  fallen  upon  the  inhabitants 
of  Canaan.  The  crossing  of  the  Jordan  and  the  fall  of 
Jericho  and  of  Ai  had  brought  a  new  power  to  their 
very  doors.  The  men  of  Gibeon  chose  submission 
rather  than  resistance.  By  stratagem  they  obtained  a 
treaty  with  Joshua  and  his  princes,  under  which  they 

served  in  the  most  laborious  occupations  for  ages. It 

is  noticeable  in  this  case  that  "  the  congregation  "  of 
Israel— the  common  people — dissented  strongly  from  the 
action  of  their  princes  in  sparing  the  Gibeonites.  How 
much  their  views  were  influenced  by  their  indignation 
against  such  duplicity,  and  how  much  by  a  close  con- 
struction  of  the   divine   behest   for    extirpating    the 

*  Gibeon,  "a  great  city  as  one  of  the  royal  cities"  (10:  2),  was 
situated  on  a  high  eminence  six  miles  north  of  Jex'usalem.  Three 
other  cities,  lying  near,  Chephirah,  Beeroth,  and  Kirjath-jearira 
(9 :  17),  acted  with  Gibeon,  in  alliance  or  subjection. 


THE   BATTLE   AT   GIBEON.  29 

devoted  nations  of  Canaan,  does  not  appear.  The 
princes,  however,  recognized  the  obligation  of  their 
oath,  and  the  Lord  manifestl}^  approved  their  action — 
which  seems  to  show  that  the  Canaanites  might  have 
been  spared  upon  their  submission,  or  (probably)  if 
they  had  voluntarily  surrendered  the  country  to  Israel 
and  removed  themselves  beyond  its  bounds.  Their 
destruction  came,  therefore,  of  their  assault  upon  Israel 

— as  the  history  proceeds  to  show. It  may  be  noted 

that  the  servile  condition  of  the  Gibeonites  would  go 
far  to  make  their  influence  toward  idolatry  harmless. 
Only  in  the  most  menial  status  could  it  have  been 
safe  to  spare  them  to  live  among  the  people  of  Israel — 
active  idolaters. 

The  Tico  Great  Decisive  Battles. 

Canaan  was  virtually  subdued  before  the  arms  of 
Joshua  in  two  great  decisive  battles  ;  the  first  against 
five  confederate,  kings  of  Southern  Palestine  (chap.  10); 
the  second,  against  a  similar  but  larger  confederation 
of  the  petty  kingdoms  of  Northern  Palestine  (chap.  11), 
The  first  was  precipitated  by  the  action  of  Gibeon  which 
those  southern  kings  regarded  as  treachery  against  the 
common  interests  of  their  country.  At  the  instance, 
therefore,  of  the  king  of  Jerusalem,  four  other  kings, 
viz.,  of  Hebron,  of  Jarmuth,  of  Lachish,  and  of  Eglon, 
combined  in  an  assault  upon  Gibeon.  The  Gibeonites 
sent  at  once  to  Joshua  for  help.  The  Lord  said  to 
Joshua :  "  Fear  them  not ;  for  I  have  delivered  them 
into  thy  hand ;  there  shall  not  a  man  of  them  stand 
before  thee."  (10:  8).  B}^  a  forced  march  of  a  whole 
night,  Joshua  was  soon  there,  probably  surprising  his 
enemies  and  thus  completely  discomfiting  them  with 
great  slaughter.     The  statement  is : 

"  And  the  Lord  discomfited  them  before  Israel,  and  slew  them  with 
a  great  slauo^hter  at  Gibeon,  and  chased  them  along  the  way  that 
goeth  lip  to  Beth-horon,  and  smote  them  to  Azekah,  and  unto  Mak- 
kedah.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  fled  from  before  Israel,  and 
were  in  the  going  down  to  Beth-horon,  that  the  Lord  cast  down  great 
stones  from  heaven  upon  them  unto  Azekah,  and  they  died  :  they 
were  more  which  died  with  hailstones  than  they  whom  the  children 
of  Israel  slew  with  the  sword.  Then  spake  Joshua  to  the  Lord  in  the 
day  when  the  Lord  delivered  up  the  Amorites  before  the  children  of 
Israel,  and  he  said  in  the  sight  of  Israel,  Sun,  stand  thou  still  upon 


30  THE   SUN   AND   MOON   STAND   STILL. 

Gibeon ;  and  thou  Moon,  in  the  valley  of  Ajalon.  And  the  sun  stood  still, 
and  the  moon  stayed,  until  the  people  had  avenged  themselves  upon 
their  enemies.  Is  not  this  written  in  the  book  of  Jasher  ?  So  the  sun 
stood  still  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  and  hasted  not  to  go  down  about  a 
whole  day.  And  there  was  no  day  like  that  before  it  or  after  it,  that 
the  Lord  hearkened  unto  the  voice  of  a  man:  for  the  Lord  fought  for 
Israel."     (10:  10-U.) 

Joshua's  military  character  being  studied  on  its 
human  side,  his  forte  as  a  general  would  lie  in  creating 
a  panic  and  then  making  the  utmost  possible  use  of  it. 
In  this  case  his  rapid  march  of  a  whole  moonlit  night 
brought  him  upon  his  enemy  yet  (we  may  suppose)  in 
their  morning  slumbers,  all  unprepared  for  battle.  Then 
the  panic  becoming  a  route,  he  chased  them  up  the  ascent 
to  the  upper  Beth-horon ;  then  down  the  descent  to  the 
lower  Beth-horon,  along  which  descent  the  Lord  met 
them  with  a  most  terrific  hail-storm,  crashing  among 
their  broken  ranks  with  that  awful  enginery  of  heaven, 
slaying  more  with  his  hail-stones  than  all  whom 
Joshua  slew  with  the  sword.  When  just  out  from 
Gibeon,  Joshua  saw  that  the  tide  of  victory  had  turned 
against  his  enemy,  already  routed  and  fleeing.  With 
the  instinct  of  a  great  commander  he  felt  that  his  time 
had  come  to  annihilate  that  host.  Now,  thought  he, 
let  this  victory  be  made  complete ;  O  for  a  day  long 
enough  to  finish  them  utterly !  Then  and  there,  moved 
by  a  divine  impulse,  he  cried  aloud  "  in  the  sight  of 
all  Israel — Sun,  stand  thou  still  over  Gibeon,  and  thou 
Moon,  in  the  valley  of  Ajalon !  And  the  sun  stood  still, 
and  the  moon  stayed  until  the  people  had  avenged  them- 
selves upon  their  enemies." 

The  geographical  localities  named  concur  with  the 
facts  stated  to  show  that  it  was  during  the  morning 
hours  of  the  day,  and  not  toward  the  evening  hours,  that 
the  sun  and  moon  were  arrested  in  their  course  by  this 
miracle.  The  direction  of  this  flight  and  pursuit  was 
westward.  Joshua  had  passed  the  highlands  on  which 
Gibeon  stood,  so  that  Gibeon  lay  eastward  from  his 
point;  while  the  valley  of  Ajalon  was  still  some  dis- 
tance in  the  west.  The  sun  had  risen  above  Gibeon, 
perhaps  nearly  half  way  to  his  meridian,  so  that  it  stood 
still  ''  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  i.  e.  coming  near  the  middle 
of  its  diurnal  circuit  in  the  heavens ;  while  the  moon, 
somewhat  past  the  full,  hung  over  the  valley  of  Ajalon. 


THE   SUN   AND    MOON    STAND  STILL.  31 

The  narrative  represents  that  the  sun  and  moon  "  hasted 
not  to  go  down  about  a  whole  day.''^ 

No  miracle  recorded  in  the  Scriptures  has  been  as- 
sailed more  violently  or  discredited  more  generally  than 

this.     The  forms  of  assault  are  chiefly  these  two : (1) 

To  attribute  the  appearance  of  miracle  in  the  statement 

to  the  embellishments  of  poetry : and  (2.)  To  reject 

the  whole  as  scientifically  impossible,  and  therefore  in- 
credible. 

The  former  class  of  critics  make  large  account  of  the 
incidental  allusion  to  the  "book  of  Jasher,"  and  also  of 
the  poetic  parallelism  which  appears  in  the  words— 
"  Sun,  stand  thou  still  upon  Gibeon ;  and  thou  Moon,  in 
the  valley  of  Ajalon."  The  "book  of  Jasher  "  is  claimed 
to  be  a  poetic  legend  in  which  this  overwhelming  defeat 
and  route  of  the  five  kings  of  Canaan — work  and  glory 
enough  for  two  days — is  represented  as  filling  out  two 
days  of  time— as  if  the  sun  and  moon  waited  in  mid- 
heaven  for  this  stupendous  work  to  be  well  and 
thoroughly  done ! 

The  proper  answer  to  this  construction  of  the  passage 
is  that,  as  an  interpretation  of  language^  it  utterly  fails  in 
the  vital  point — that  of  giving  the.  sense.  The  w^ords  of 
our  record  declare  that,  in  the  sight  of  all  Israel,  Joshua 
cried  aloud,  commanding  the  sun  and  moon  to  stand 
still;  that  thereupon  the  sun  and  moon  did  stand  still 
for  about  one  w^hole  day ;  that  this  day  was  unlike  any 
other  before  or  since,  in  this  vital  respect — that  the 
Lord  hearkened  to  the  voice  of  a  man  and  granted  his 
prayer — to  the  result  of  this  great  miracle.  This  is 
W'hat  the  words  standing  here  must  mean.  That  these 
words  of  command  assume  somewhat  the  form  of  the 
usual  poetic  parallelism  does  not  modify  their  legiti- 
mate meaning  one  particle.  The  loftiness  of  the 
thought,  the  grandeur  of  the  conception,  demanded 
from  any  Hebrew  mind  this  style  of  expression.  ^  A 
prosaic  style  would  be  so  unnatural  as  to  raise  legiti- 
mate doub'^t  of  its  genuineness. That  this  great  event 

should  be  recorded  in  the  book  of  the  upright  ["Jasher  "] 
is  not  the  least  disparagement  to  its  veracity.  Such  an 
event  ought  to  be  recorded  in  any  and  every  hook  of 
Jasher.  All  the  records  of  those  times  made  by  upright 
men,  or  made  for  the  reading  of  upright  men  in  all 
future  ages,  should  include  this  great  transaction. 


82  THE  SUN  AND  MOON  STAND  STILL. 

Some  very  able  and  excellent  critics — men  who  ac- 
cept the  true  doctrine  of  miracles  and  find  them  else- 
where in  the  Bible,  yet  hold  that  in  this  case  the  day 
was  not  really  prolonged  as  to  time.  In  their  view 
Joshua's  prayer  was  answered  in  its  spirit,  not  in  its 
letter;  i.  e.  only  by  making  his  victory  complete  before 
the  usual  darkness  of  night  came  on.  In  support  of 
this  view  they  urge  that  this  case  is  not  referred  to 
elsewhere  in  scripture  as  a  miracle ;  that  all  Joshua 
could  desire  in  his  prayer  was  the  complete  discomfiture 
of  his  enemy — in  spirit,  this :  0  let  not  the  day  close 
till  my  enemies  are  perfectly  routed  1  and  that  this 
prayer  was  granted  by  smiting  them  with  hail-stones 
from  heaven,  and  by  giving  Joshua's  men  almost  super- 
human endurance  and  energy  in  battle.  Especially 
they  maintain  that  the  entire  passage  (vs.  12-14,  and 
perhaps  also  v.  15)  is  quoted  from  the  book  of  Jasher, 
of  which  we  learn  from  2  Sam.  1 :  18,  that  it  was  writ- 
ten in  the  boldest  style  of  ancient  Hebrew  poetry. 
Regarding  it  thus  as  a  quotation,  these  critics  make 
large  allowance  for  bold  poetic  diction,  as  Deborah 
sung — "The  stars  in  their  courses  fought  against 
Sisera "  (Judg.  5 :  20) ;  while  some  raise  the  question 
whether  this  book  of  Jasher  was  inspired  and  its  rep- 
resentations altogether  truthful,  and  also  whether  the 
compiler  of  the  book  of  Joshua  must  be  held  to  indorse 
them. 

Repl3dng  briefly  to  these  points  in  order;  it  must  be 
conceded  that  this  miracle  is  not  clearly  referred  to  else- 
where in  scripture.*  This  argument  from  silence  can 
have,  however,  but  very  limited  force.  It  may  be  quite 
impossible  to  explain  the  reason  of  this  silence,  yet 
there  may  have  been  reasons  other  than  the  absence  of 
all  miracle  here. 

As  to  the  form  of  Joshua's  praj^er,  the  record  is  en- 
tirely definite.  It  states  that  Joshua  praved — not 
thus  :  O  give  me  a  perfect  victory !  Let  my  soldiers  do 
the  work  of  two  days  in  this  one ! — but  precisely  this  : 
"Joshua  spake  to  the  Lord  in  the  sight  of  all  Israel 
(and  of  course  in  the  hearing  of  many) :  "  Sun,  stand 

*  It  is  plainly  referred  to  in  the  Apocryphal  book  Ecclesiasticus 
(46:  4);  "Did  not  the  snn  go  back  by  his  means,  and  was  not  one 
day  as  long  as  two?"  This  shows  the  current  opinion  of  the  Jews 
at  that  date. 


THE  SUN  AND  MOON  STAND  STILL.  33 

thou  still  upon  Gibeon,  and  thou  Moon,  in  the  valley  of 
Ajalon ! "  Then  the  narrative  proceeds  to  say — not 
merely  that  the  Lord  answered  his  prayer  in  its  spirit, 
yet  not  in  its  letter;  not  merely  that  the  Lord  gave 
him  a  finished  victory,  routing  and  almost  annihilating 
his  enemies ;  but  this :  "  And  the  sun  stood  still,  and 
the  moon  stayed  until  the  people  had  avenged  them- 
selves upon  their  enemies."  Then  follows  a  reference 
to  the  "book  of  Jasher"  as  corroborating  this  wonderful 
fact,  after  which  we  have  the  statement,  not  in  poetic 
parallelism  or  diction,  but  in  the  plainest  sort  of  prose  : 
"  So  the  sun  stood  still  in  the  midst  of  heaven  and 
hasted  not  to  go  down  about  a  whole  day."  Nor  does 
the  passage  end  with  this,  but  again  reaffirms  the  vital 
fact :  "  And  there  was  no  day  like  that  before  it  or  after 
it,  that  the  Lord  hearkened  unto  the  voice  of  a  man  " — 
a  statement  w^hich  can  not  mean  that  God  never  before 
or  after  this  day  answered  the  prayer  of  man,  but  which 
must  mean  that  never,  before  or  after,  had  God  heard 
man's  prayer  in  this  way — to  the  result  of  such  a  miracle. 

Hence  I  am  compelled  to  dissent  from  even  such 

critics  as  Hengstenberg,  and  quite  decline  to  resolve  this 
miracle  into  poetic  embellishment,  or  pass  it  over  to 
the  doubtful  or  denied  inspiration  of  the  "book  of 
Jasher." 

To  those  who  reject  this  miracle  as  scientifically  im- 
possible, and  therefore  incredible,  the  proper  answer 
is,  that  the  author  of  nature  is  the  Lord  of  nature,  and  has 
never  perpetrated  the  folly,  not  to  say  the  impossibility, 
of  tying  his  own  hands  by  any  system  which  vacates 
his  absolute  control  of  the  universe  he  has  made.  If  it 
be  said  that  the  disturbance  in  the  planetary  system  by 
such  an  arrest  of  the  earth's  revolution  on  its  axis  is 
too  great  to  be  thought  of  as  admissible,  the  answer  is : 
He  who  is  able  to  arrest  the  earth's  revolution  twelve 
hours,  is  also  able  to  prevent  any  disastrous  disturbance 
from  such  arrest.  It  is  not  incumbent  on  us  to  show 
how  this  supposed  disturbance  was  prevented;  nor  even 
to  show  how  the  Lord  applied  his  divine  power  to  stop 
the  sun  in  the  heavens;  i.  e.  to  stay  the  revolution  of 
the  earth  on  its  axis.  The  question  hoio  is  simply  an 
impertinence.  We  might  as  well  discredit  the  creation 
of  light  because  we  can  not  answer  the  question  how 
God  could  "  speak  and  it  was  done." 


34  THE   BATTLE   OF   GIBEON. 

Fundamentally,  this  objection  to  miracle  must  as- 
sume one  or  the  other  of  these  two  alternative  posi- 
tions. 

(1.)  That  there  is  no  God — no  being  who  has  power  to 
stop  the  sun  in  the  heavens  for  twelve  hours;  or, 

(2.)  That  God,  having  created  the  universe,  put  it 
under  the  control  of  laws,  which  laws  he  either  lacks 
the  power  to  deviate  from,  or  having  this  power,  has 

bound  himself  never  to  use  it. The  last  alternative  is 

more  generally  adopted  than  either  of  the  others.  The 
proper  answer  to  it  is  :  Where  is  the  proof?  Who  knows 
that  God  has  bound  himself  never  to  interpose  and  sus- 
pend for  the  occasion  the  normal  laws  of  nature  ?  Let 
it  be  granted  that  he  will  never  do  this  without  good 
reason;  yet  who  knows  that  there  never  has  been  and 
never  will  be  a  good  reason  ?  Who  is  able  rationally  to 
deny  that  for  this  once  the  Lord  might  listen  to  the 
voice  of  a  man,  and  prolong  the  fighting  day  twelve 
hours  for  the  purpose  of  breaking  down  the  military 
power  of  Canaan,  and  giving  the  land  of  his  promise  to 
his  believing  people?  Who  knows  that  during  the 
progress  of  those  great  events  which  make  up  the  won- 
derful record  of  inspiration — which  go  to  make  the  Bible — 
which  were  intended  for  great  witnessing  facts,  giving 
to  the  ages  of  human  history  the  proofs  of  God's  present 
wonder-working  hand — there  would  not  arise  occasions 
for  real  miracle — for  a  manifestation  of  God's  hand  of 
such  sort  and  sustained  by  such  proofs  as  no  then  living 

witness  could  gainsay  or  resist? If  the  objector  says, 

with  Hume :  At  all  events  the  proof  of  miracle  must 
always  be  unsatisfactory  and  (rationally  considered) 
insufficient,  because  it  is  more  probable  that  history 
should  lie  than  that  God  should  work  a  miracle,  the 
answer  is  a  flat  denial.  It  is  not  more  probable  that  all 
history — the  strongest  and  best  historical  testimony — 
should  lie  than  that  God  should  under  any  circumstan- 
ces work  a  miracle.  For,  under  some  supposable  cir- 
cumstances miracles  are  not  only  credible  but  are  even 
probable — to  be  expected.  A  written  revelation  from 
God  being  a  moral  necessity  for  man,  and  God  being  a 
kind  Father  to  his  moral  ofispring,  it  is  far  more  than 
probable  that  God  would  make  one;  and  in  order  to 
make  it  available,  authoritative,  to  intelligent  beings, 
would  give  a  miracle  to  indorse  it.     Therefore  it  would 


THE    BATTLE   OF    HAZOR.  OO 

be  marvelously  strange  if  God  did  not  resort  to  miracle 
to  substantiate  his  written  revelation  and  to  manifest 
himself  to  a  moral  world  like  this. 

We  return  to  our  history.  Night-fall  came  at  last 
and  closed  the  pursuit.  The  men  of  Joshua's  host  who 
had  marched  all  night  from  Gilgal  to  Gibeon,  and  then 
fought,  not  twelve  hours  only,  but  perhaps  twenty,  must 
have  had  almost  miraculous  powers  of  endurance — 
attributable,  doubtless,  to  that  inspiration  of  soul  which 
makes  small  account  of  the  weakness  of  human  flesh 

and  blood. One  little  incident  of  this  day  reveals  the 

spirit  of  their  commander.  The  five  confederate  kings 
fled  and  hid  themselves  in  a  cave  at  Makkedah.  The 
fact  is  reported  to  Joshua.  Instantly  he  gives  orders : — 
Wall  them  in  and  set  a  guard  to  keep  them ;  and  stay 
ye  not,  but  pursue  after  your  enemies  and  smite  the 
hindmost  of  them;  let  none  escape  to  enter  into  their 
fenced  cities.     We  can  look  after  the  five  kings  when 

our  other  work  is  done. So  they  did,  and  when  that 

double-day's  work  was  done,  the  army  returned  and 
made  their  first  camp  at  this  Makkedah.  In  due  time 
those  kings  were  brought  out  and  laid  prostrate  before 
Joshua  and  his  men.  Perhaps  to  heighten  the  courage 
of  his  captains  or  to  counteract  their  fear  of  kings  in 
arms — stalwart,  gigantic  men  they  may  have  been — he 
said  to  them,  "Come  near  and  put  your  feet  on  the 
necks  of  these  kings."  Done;  and  then  Joshua  said; 
"  Fear  not,  nor  be  dismayed,  be  strong  and  of  a  good 
courage;  for  thus  shall  the  Lord  do  to  all  your  enemies 

against  whom  ye  fight."    (vs.  24,  25). These  kings 

having  been  disposed  of,  Joshua  followed  up  this  great 
victory  by  passing  rapidly  in  his  victorious  march  from 
one  royal  city  to  another,  capturing  in  their  order  Mak- 
kedah, Libnah,  Lachish,  Gezer,  Eglon,  Hebron,  and 
Debir — thus  subjugating  all  Southern  Palestine.  "  All 
these  kings  and  their  land  did  Joshua  take  at  one  time ; 
because  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  fought  for  Israel."  Thus 
tersely  the  historian  ascribes  these  victories  to  God. 

The  Victory  over  the  Kings  of  Northern  Palestine  (Josh.  11). 

This  history  is  given  with  very  little  detail.  Hazor, 
quite  near  the  northern  limit  of  Palestine,  and  on  the 
southern  extremity  of  the  Anti-Libanus  range,  being 


36  THE   BATTLE   OF   HAZOR. 

the  strongest  of  those  cities  and  kingdoms,  took  the  lead, 
its  king  inviting  into  this  confederation  all  the  king- 
doms of  Northern  Palestine  as  far  south  as  the  lati- 
tude of  Jerusalem ;  also  those  adjacent  on  the  north-west 
and  the  north-east.  Mustered  for  war,  they  were  a  great 
host — "  much  people,  even  as  the  sand  that  is  upon  the 
sea  shore  in  multitude,  with  horses  and  chariots  very 
many  (11:  4).*  They  encamped  near  the  waters  of 
Merom  (the  modern  El  Huleh),  a  basin  of  water  near 
the  sources  of  the  river  Jordan,  and  really  an  expansion 
of  that  river.  Joshua,  in  his  camp  at  Gilgal,  is  waiting 
for  marching  orders  from  the  "Captain  of  the  Lord's 
host."  In  due  time  they  came  :  "  Be  not  afraid  of  them  ; 
for  to-morrow  about  this  time  will  I  deliver  them  up 
all  slain  before  Israel."  So  short  a  time  signified  another 
forced  march,  doubtless  by  night,  up  the  line  of  the  Jor- 
dan valley.  The  record  has  it :  "  So  Joshua  came  and  all 
Israel  with  him  against  them  by  the  waters  of  Merom 
suddenly,  and  they  fell  upon  them:^^ — Another  of  those 
rapid  movements  according  to  the  military  policy  of 
Joshua — dashing  upon  his  enemy  after  a  forced  march, 
smiting  and  slaughtering  before  they  are  aware  that  he 
has  even  broken  camp  at  Gilgal.  Thus  he  demoralized 
that  vast  host  with  panic,  and  then  chased  and  cut 
them  dow^n  with  fearful  slaughter.  In  this  battle  his 
enemy  fled  in  various  directions — some  to  the  north- 
west, whom  he  chased  even  unto  great  Zidon ;  others 
up  the  "  valley  of  Mizpeh"  eastward  along  the  lake  and 
marsh  of  Huleh  beyond  which  some  might  pass  up  the 
valley  lying  between  Lebanon  and  Anti-Lebanon,  while 
others  might  bear  away  "  eastward  by  Baneas  toward 

Damascus  "  (Coleman  p.  87). To  hough  and  so  to 

disable  their  horses  and  to  burn  their  chariots  in  the 
fire   was   at  once   the  command  of  the  Lord  and  the 

dictate   of  the   soundest   policy. This   great   battle 

having  broken  his  enemy  into  fragments,  it  only  re- 
mained to  follow  it  with  the  capture  of  his  cities  and 
the  slaughter  of  all  his  resisting  forces.  This  was  a  work 
of  time,  since  we  read  ;  "  Joshua  made  war  a  long  time 
with  all  those  kings"  (11 :  18).     Not  a  city  made  peace 

*■  Josephus  reckons  their  number  at  300,000  foot,  10,000  horse,  and 
20,000  chariots.  It  is  safe  to  assume  that  these  figures  are  too  great, 
yet  that  the  host  was  immense,  relatively  to  the  number  under 
Joshua. 


ALLOTMENT   OF    CANAAN; — CALEB.  37 

with  Israel  save  Gibeon.  It  was  of  the  Lord  that  the 
rest  were  persistently  hardened  in  their  opposition, 
fighting  to  the  bitter  end  and  to  their  own  terrible 
destruction.  Thus  Joshua  took  the  whole  land  as  the 
Lord  had  promised  to  Moses  and  to  the  earlier  patriarchs, 
and  then  gave  it  to  the  tribes  of  Israel  for  their  inherit- 
ance. 


CHAPTER  IIL 

Allotment  of  Canaan. 

The  ensuing  chapters  give  further  particulars  of  the 
conquest,  and  then  of  the  distribution  of  the  conquered 
country.  In  chap.  12  the  historian  gives  a  list  of  the 
cities  and  kings  subdued,  both  those  on  the  east  of  Jor- 
dan and  those  on  the  west.  In  chap.  13  is  a  brief 
sketch  of  the  sections  ("  very  much  ")  yet  remaining  to 
be  possessed  (vs.  2-6)  ;  and  next  we  find  the  distribu- 
tion of  territory  east  of  Jordan  to  the  two  and  a  half 
tribes  previously  located  there. 

Caleb  and  his  inheritance. 

In  chap.  14 :  6-15  the  writer  gives  a  special  account 
of  Caleb,  the  associate  of  Joshua  in  the  minority  report 
when  twelve  spies  were  sent  up  into  Canaan  from 
Kadesh-barnea.  (See  Num.  13  and  14.)  At  this  time, 
eighty-five  years  old,  still  hale  as  at  forty,  still  strong 
in  the  faith  of  Israel's  God,  he  asks  for  the  special  in- 
heritance which  Moses  had  promised  him — which 
promise  Joshua  with  good  heart  gratefully  fulfills.* 

The  reader  will  notice  that  Caleb  makes  a  strong 
point  of  his  hale  and  vigorous  old  age.  To  see  this  in 
its  full  force  we  need  to  ask — Where  were  the  ten  spies 

-The  dates  given  in  this  brief  personal  history  of  Caleb  avail  to 
show  that  this  transaction  was  seven  years  after  the  crossing 
of  the  Jordan.  Caleb  being  forty  years  of  age  at  the  mission  of  the 
spies  from  Kadesh-barnea  and  eightj-^-five  now,  the  difference  (forty- 
five)  allows  thirty-eight  years  for  the  remaining  wilderness  sojourn- 
ing, and  seven  for  residence  in  Canaan.  These  seven  years  meas- 
ure the  duration  thus  far  of  the  wars  of  the  conquest. 


38  CALEB  AND  HIS   INHERITANCE. 

who,  forty-five  years  before,  brought  in  the  majority  re- 
port, so  full  of  unbelief,  so  faithless  as  to  the  God  of  the 
patriarchal  promises?  Where  were  the  thousands  of 
that  unbelieving  generation  ?  Alas !  not  a  man  of  them 
lived  to  see  the  goodly  land  of  Canaan;  not  one  sur- 
vived through  the  remaining  thirty-eight  years  of  wan- 
dering in  the  wilderness.  But  here  is  Caleb,  not  only 
living,  but  as  vigorous  as  ever— as  hardy  and  robust  for 
war,  as  fresh  for  enduring  the  rougher  tasks  of  human 
strength  as  when  in  his  full  maturity  at  forty.  His 
testimony  stands  here,  therefore,  to  prove  that  piety  is 
wholesome,  not  to  the  soul  onl}^,  but  to  the  body ;  not 
for  the  culture  of  noble  character  only,  but  for  the  less 
yet  not  insignificant  good  of  health,  vigor,  and  years. 

If  the  fearful   mortality  among  the   unbelieving 

multitude  at  and  after  Kadesh-barnea  gave  occasion  to 
the  plaintive  strains  of  Moses  in  Ps.  90,  the  total  con- 
trast between  their  case  and  that  of  Caleb  and  Joshua 
might  no  less  naturally  have  suggested  the  contrasted 
strains  of  Ps.  91.  Look  into  the  case  of  those  two  men ; 
hear  the  inspiring  words  of  personal  testimony  which 
Caleb  gives  here,  and  learn  to  sing — "He  that  dwelleth 
in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most  High  shall  abide  under 
the  shadow  of  the  Almighty.  .  .  .  He  shall  deliver  thee 
from  the  noisome  pestilence  :  he  shall  cover  thee  with 
his  feathers,  and  under  his  wangs  shalt  thou  trust." 
"  Thou  shalt  not  be  afraid  of  the  terror  by  night,  nor 
for  the  arrow  that  flieth  by  day:  A  thousand  shall 
fall  at  thy  side,  but  it  shall  not  come  nigh  thee."  .  .  . 
"  With  long  life  will  I  satisfy  him  and  show  him  my 

salvation." It  need  not  be  maintained  that  all  good 

men  and  good  women  will  be  healthful  and  strong 
down  to  the  advanced  age  of  Caleb  the  son  of 
Jephunneh  ;  and  yet  there  is  no  lack  of  testimony  that 
godliness  has  the  better  "  promise  of  the  life  that  now 
is."  Virtue  is  alwaj^s  more  wholesome  for  health  and 
long  life  than  vice;  temperance  than  excess;  a  loving, 
trustful  spirit,  than  a  soul  made  bitter  by  hate  and 
unrestful  by  its  hostile  attitude  toward  him  who  con- 
trols all  things  in  both  this  world  and  the  next. It 

is  pleasant  to  think  of  the  cheery  tone  and  trustful 
spirit  in  these  words  of  the  venerable  Caleb.  There 
were  few  to  enjoy  better  than  he  the  entrance  into 
Canaan  and  the  victories  that  gave  them  possession  of 


ALLOTMENT  OF  CANAAN.  39 

that  goodly  land.  He  had  occasion  to  remember  the 
noble  testimony  he  bore  for  God  at  Kadesh-barnea ;  he 
could  not  fail  to  see  that  God  remembered  it  too.  The 
earthly  rewards  of  his  faith  and  obedience  were  mag- 
nificent, yet  not  really  greater  than  God  is  wont  to  give 
for  like  faith  and  obedience  in  all  ages ;  albeit  there 
may  have  been  in  his  case  an  unusual  measure  of  those 
rewards  given  in  "  the  life  that  now  is." 

Chap.  15  locates  the  tribe  of  Judah,  enumerating 
the  cities  given  them,  112  in  number,  with  their 
villages,   showing   that   this   portion   of  Canaan   was 

densely  peopled. Chaps.   16  and  17  similarly  give 

the  location  of  Joseph,  i.  e.  of  Ephraim  and  of  the  half 
tribe  of  Manasseh — this  territory,  like  that  of  Judah, 
stretching  quite  across  Palestine  from  the  Jordan  to  the 
Mediterranean. 

The  next  important  event  is  the  fixing  of  the  relig- 
ious center  at  Shiloh  in  the  territory  of  Ephraim* 
(chap.  18) — a  much  more  central  location  than  Gil  gal. 
Thenceforward  for  many  generations  this  was  the  home 
of  the  tabernacle,  and  practically  the  capital  city  of 
Israel. 

The  Location  of  the  Tribes  Completed. 

Seven  tribes  were  yet  without  location.f  Arrange- 
ments were  therefore  made  for  the  survey  of  all  the  yet 
unappropriated  territory.  Three  men  from  each  tribe 
constituted  the  surveying  party.  Instead  of  mapping 
out  the  country  by  its  natural  boundaries  (rivers  or 
mountain  ranges)  or  by  lines  of  latitude  and  longitude, 
they  described  it  by  cities  and  their  adjacent  villages. 
The  whole  was  thus  divided  into  seven  parts,  and  these 

*The  precise  location  of  ancient  Shiloh  has  been  ascertained  be- 
yond reasonable  question  by  Dr.  Robinson,  after  having  been  long 
unknown.  See  his  Researches,  vol.  3,  pp.  85-89.  It  lies  a  little  off 
and  eastward  of  the  great  road  from  Jerusalem  to  Shechem,  about 
twenty-four  miles  north  from  the  former,  and  twelve  miles  south  of 
the  latter  city,  quite  central  to  Palestine,  west  of  the  Jordan. 

tLevi  not  being  counted  in  the  allotment  of  territory— to  this 
tribe  being  assigned  only  cities  and  their  suburbs,  and  these  scat- 
tered among  all  the  tribes,  Joseph  counted  two,  viz.,  Ephraim  and 
Manasseh.  Two  and  a  half  tribes  were  already  provided  on  the 
east  of  Jordan,  and  two  and  a  half  on  the  west,  viz.,  Judah,  Ephraim, 
and  the  other  half  of  Manasseh.  Hence  only  seven  remained;  viz., 
Benjamin,  Simeon,  Zebulon,  Issachar,  Asher,  Naphtali,  and  Dan 


40  CITIES  OF  REFUGE. 

parts  assigned  to  the  seven  tribes  by  lot.  As  Judah 
and  Ephraim  were  found  to  have  a  disproportionate 
share,  Benjamin's  allotment  was  taken  from  theirs,  and 
also  the  allotment  for  Simeon  was  cut  from  the  S.  W. 

portion  of  Judah. The  allotment  of  the  remaining 

tribes  is  given  in  chap.  19.  A  good  map  of  the  Pales- 
tine of  that  age  will  give  the  reader  the  best  view  of 
their  location.  That  of  Coleman  (Historical  Text  Book 
and  Atlas),  frequently  referred  to  in  these  pages,  may 
be  safely  recommended  as  made  with  care  and  on  the 
best  and  latest  authorities. 

The  ultimate  location  of  all  the  tribes  in  their  own 
cities  and  territory  was  an  event  of  profound  signifi- 
cance, worthy  to  be  long  remembered.  A  great  people, 
four  hundred  years  oppressed  in  Egypt,  forty  years 
wandering  homeless  in  the  deserts  of  Arabia,  full  seven 
years  up  to  this  date  in  the  conquest  of  Canaan,  and 
therefore  unsettled — in  a  state  of  war,  living  in  camp : 
but  now  they  fold  up  their  tents  and  make  their  per- 
manent homes  in  cities  already  built;  in  houses  con- 
structed, not  to  say,  furnished  ready  to  their  hand. 
Around  them  are  lands  under  tillage,  fruit  trees  in 
bearing  condition,  every  thing  prepared  for  living  with 
all  the  comforts  of  oriental  life.  Indeed  so  great  are 
their  resources  for  comfort  and  abundance  that  now 
their  dangers  lie  morally  in  this  very  line — the  tempta- 
tion to  self-indulgence,  to  sensuality,  and  to  most  guilty 

forgetfulness  of  their  great  Benefactor. But  God  has 

fulfilled  his  great  promises  made  long  ages  ago  to  Abra- 
ham and  renewed  to  his  godly  descendants.  He  has  now 
given  them  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey — the 
glory  of  all  lands.  Will  they  live  worthily  of  their 
mercies — worthily  of  their  covenant  relations  as  ser- 
vants of  their  own  Jehovah?  Will  they  remember  his 
mercies  and  honor  him  with  grateful  hearts  and  conse- 
crated lives? 

Cities  of  Refuge. 

Chap.  20  recites  the  Mosaic  law  in  respect  to  cities  of 
refuge,  and  names  them  as  assigned  by  Joshua,  viz., 
those  on  the  west  of  Jordan !  Kedesh  in  Naphtali, 
Shechem  in  Mt.  Ephraim,  and  Hebron  in  Judah: — with 
three  on  the  east  of  Jordan,  viz.,  Bezer  from  the  tribe 
of  Reuben,  Ramoth  in  Gilead  from  the'tribe  of  Gad, 


THE  ALTAR  OF  WITNE&S.  41 

and  Golan  in  Bashan  from  Manasseh.     All  these  were 
from  cities  given  to  the  Levites.* 

Chap.  21  names  the  cities  assi^^ned  to  the  Levites, 
forty-eight  with  their  suburbs.  The  priests  had  all 
their  cities  in  the  territory  given  originally  to  Judah, 
and  consequently  were  located  conveniently  for  their 
ultimate  service  at  Jerusalem. 

Let  it  be  noted  that  this  chap.,  21,  closes  pertinently 
with  the  statement  that  by  this  conquest  and  division 
of  Canaan,  God  had  thoroughly  fulfilled  all  that  he  had 
promised  to  Abraham  and  the  patriarchs  in  regard  to 
the  gift  of  Canaan  to  him  and  to  his  posterity.  "  The 
Lord  gave  unto  Israel  all  the  land  which  he  had  sworn 
to  give  unto  their  fathers,  and  they  possessed  it  and 
dwelt  therein."  The  Lord  gave  them  rest  round  about 
and  victory  over  all  their  enemies.  "  There  failed  not 
aught  of  any  good  thing  which  the  Lord  had  spoken  to 
the  house  of  Israel ;  all  came  to  pass."  (21 :  43-45).  The 
main  purpose  of  the  whole  book  of  Joshua  is  to  record 
this  fulfillment  of  a  long  series  of  promises.  It  was 
quite  in  place,  therefore,  that  at  the  close  of  these  nume- 
rous details  this  comprehensive  statement  should  have 
a  place. 

The  Altar  of  Witness. 

Chap.  22  recites  the  public  services  connected  with 
the  dismission  of  the  men  of  war  from  the  two  and  a 
half  tribes  after  the  conquest  of  Canaan  was  mainly 
finished;  and  coupled  with  this,  the  slight,  or  rather 
the  transient,  misunderstanding  between  the  western 
and  the  eastern  brethren,  growing  out  of  the  erection  by 
the  latter  of  an  altar  of  witness  near  the  Jordan  crossing 
which  their  western  brethren  assumed  to  be  designed 
for  sacrifice.  The  eastern  wing,  it  at  length  appeared, 
had  none  but  the  best  intentions.  The  jealousy  of  their 
western  brethren  moreover  sprang  from  none  but  a  good 
heart.  Of  course  there  was  great  wisdom  in  their  send- 
ing an  embassy  of  inquiry  and  investigation,  and  great 
joy  when  they  learned  the  real  purpose  and  meaning 
of  this  altar.  The  facts  are  of  value  historically  as 
evincing  a  most  excellent  spirit  in  both  the   eastern 

*  The  Mosaic  law  in  regard  to  these  cities  of  refuge,  its  occasion, 
spirit,  and  purposed  operation  are  fully  presented  in  my  Pentateuch, 
pp.  282.  288,  and  therefore  need  not  be  repeated  here. 
3 


42  JOSHUA^S   LAST   WORDS. 

brethren  and  the  western ;  and  are  also  useful  suggest- 
ively as  indicating  how  a  bad  and  painful  misunder- 
standing maybe  amicably  disposed  of,  to  the  joy  of  both 
parties. 

This  case  may,  at  first  view,  seem  to  indicate  a  second- 
ary class  of  altars  already  in  established  usage,  viz.,  for 
purposes  of  memorial  witness.  But  if  such  had  been 
the  case,  there  would  be  far  less  justification  for  the 
jealousy  and  alarm  of  the  western  brethren  when  they 
heard  of  this  altar.  The  presumption  is  strong  that 
they  knew  of  no  such  usage,  and  therefore  could  see  no 

explanation  of  this  act  of  their  eastern  brethren. 

Observe  also  that  the  record  here  states  that  this  altar 
of  witness  was  built  "after  the  pattern  (v.  28)  of  the 
altar  of  the  Lord  which  our  fathers  made."  It  does  not, 
therefore,  indicate  any  secondary  usage  of  altars,  other 
than  for  sacrifice.  It  was  an  extraordinary,  not  an 
ordinary  or  customary  institution,  and  was  gotten  up 
purely  for  memorial  purposes,  to  testify  along  the  course 
of  future  generations  that  they,  equally  with  their 
brethren  on  the  west  of  Jordan,  had  rights  in  the  great 
altar  of  burnt-ofiering  at  the  holy  tabernacle.  It  was 
the  result  of  a  fear  in  their  minds  lest  at  some  future 
period  their  rights  in  the  hol}^  place  on  the  west  of  Jor- 
dan might  be  ignored  and  their  children  repelled. 

JoshucCs  last  icords. 

Chapters  23  and  24  transmit  two  discourses  of  Joshua 
to  the  assembled  jDcople  of  Israel,  both  of  which  meet- 
ings and  addresses  must  have  been  near  the  close  of  his 
life.  It  is  not  perhaps  certain,  though  probable,  that 
there  were  two  different  meetings  rather  than  two 
addresses  at  the  same  meeting,  since  that  of  chapter  23 
is  made  specific  by  its  note  of  time,  viz. :  "A  long  time 
after  that  the  Lord  had  given  rest  to  Israel  and  Joshua 
had  waxed  old."  (23 :  1) ;  while  that  of  chapter  24  is 
made  definite  by  a  note  of  its  place  :  "  Joshua  gathered  all 
the  tribes  of  Israel  to  Shechem  "  (24 :  1),  In  both  cases 
the  call  embraced  "  all  Israel,"  with  their  "  elders,  heads, 
judges,  and  officers."  The  general  purpose  of  each  meet- 
ing was  the  same ;  yet  the  things  said  by  Joshua  in 
each  were  quite  different.  In  the  second  meeting,  the 
national  covenant  was  solemnly  renewed  at  Shechem 


Joshua's  last  words.  43 

(24 :  25). In  the  first  meeting  Joshua  reminded  the 

people  of  all  the  Lord  had  wrought  for  them  in  Canaan, 
subduing  their  enemies  and  giving  them  the  land  so 
long  before  promised  to  their  fathers.  Upon  the  basis 
of  these  great  facts  he  exhorted  the  people  to  courage 
and  faith  in  whatever  conflicts  of  arms  might  be  yet 
before  them ;  but  especially  implored  them  to  stand  in- 
vincibly against  idolatry  and  cleave  to  the  Lord  their 
God  alone,  assuring  them  that  as  God  had  faithfully 
fulfilled  all  his  promises  of  good  to  the  nation  while 
obedient,  so  would  he  as  faithfully  fulfill  his  threaten- 

ings  of  evil  if  they  apostatized  to  idols. In  the  second 

meeting  and  address  Joshua  takes  a  larger  range  of  his- 
toric review,  sketching  the  history  of  Abraham  even 
from  his  native  home  on  the  other  side  of  the  great 
Euphrates  ("  the  flood,"  as  our  translators  render  the 
Hebrew  word  "  the  river  ")  ;  then  continuing  his  sketch 
through  Isaac,  Jacob,  Esau,  Moses,  the  Exodus,  Balak, 
the  wars  of  Canaan,  and  finally  the  possession  of  lands 
put  under  cultivation  by  other  laborers  and  cities  built 
by  other  hands.  All  this  history  is  presented  for  the 
purpose  of  enforcing  his  final  appeal ;  "  Now,  therefore, 
fear  the  Lord  and  serve  him  in  sincerity  and  in  truth, 
and  put  away  the  gods  which  j^our  fathers  served  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Euphrates."  The  strong  point  of  this 
historic  allusion  seems  to  be  of  this  sort ;  the  Lord  called 
Abraham  out  from  Ur  to  remove  him  and  his  posterity 
from  the  social  temptations  existing  there  to  idolatrj^ 
Now,  do  not  frustrate  his  main  purpose  by  plunging 
yourselves  again  into  forms  of  idolatry  no  less  vile  than 

those. Then,  giving  a  new  and  sharp  turn  to  his 

appeal,  he  says :  "  If  it  seem  evil  unto  you  to  serve  the 
Lord;"  if  it  be  a  hardship  and  ye  on  the  whole  prefer 
to  be  like  the  heathen  around  you,  "  then  choose  ye 
this  day  whom  ye  will  serve ; "  be  whole-hearted  one 
way  or  the  other;  "As  for  me  and  my  house,  we  will 

serve  the  Lord." The  people  answer  with  apparent 

earnestness  and  decision,  certainly  with  excellent  logic  : 
"God  forbid  that  we  should  forsake  the  Lord  to  serve 
other  gods."  It  is  this  very  Jehovah  who  has  brought 
us  out  from  Egypt;  borne  us  through  the  wilderness; 
shielded  and  blessed  us  by  miracle,  and  given  us  Canaan : 
"  therefore  we  will  serve  the  Lord,  for  he  is  our  God."— 
To  put  the  case  yet  more  strongly,  Joshua  takes  still  a 


44 

new  turn  and  in  very  remarkable  words  says :  "  Ye  can 
not  serve  the  Lord,  for  he  is  a  holy  God ;  he  is  a  jealous 
God;  he  will  not  forgive  your  transgressions  nor  your 
sins.  If  ye  forsake  the  Lord  and  serve  strange  gods, 
then  he  will  turn  and  do  you  hurt  and  consume  you 
after  that  he  hath  done  you  good." 

It  is  important  to  us  to  use  our  plain  common  sense 
in  construing  these  words  of  Joshua.  It  can  not  reason- 
ably be  supposed  that  he  meant  to  say  :  "  It  is  entirely 
impossible  for  you  to  serve  a  God  so  holy  and  so  jealous, 
to  his  satisfaction,  and  you  may  as  well  desist  from  the 
attempt  in  despair  at  the  outset.  If  this  had  been  his 
meaning,  why  did  he  not  live  up  to  his  own  doctrine  ? 
With  what  reason  could  he  say—"  As  for  me  and  my 
house,  we  will  serve  the  Lord?"  No,  his  meaning  is 
rather  this  :  God  will  have  your  whole  hearty  or  nothing. 
It  is  not  pleasant  to  him  to  be  insulted  by  having 
other  gods  thrust  up  before  his  face  in  preference  to 
himself.  It  can  be  of  no  use  for  you  to  profess  to  serve 
him  or  even  to  make  a  small  and  faint  beginning,  and 
then  turn  back  to  serve  idols.  Interpreting  Joshua's 
words  in  view  of  his  own  drift  of  thought,  i.  e.  com- 
paring V.  19,  "  Ye  can  not  serve  God,"  with  v.  20 ;  "  If 
ye  forsake  the  Lord,  he  will  consume  you,"  we  get  his 
meaning  :  ye  must  serve  God  if  at  all  tdih  persistent  and 
persevering  steadfastness  ;  for  if  ye  turn  back  to  serve  idols, 
all  your  former  service  of  God  goes  for  nothing  and  can 
not  save  you  from  his  consuming  judgments.  Ye  can 
not  serve  God  so/  Such  service  can  never  avail  you  at 
all !  Ye  might  serve  idol  gods  to  their  satisfaction  in 
this  way — but  never  the  Great  Jehovah  !     He  takes  no 

such  offerings ! With  apparent  sincerity  the  people 

respond:  "Nay,  but  we  will  serve  the  Lord." "Ye 

are  witnesses  in  this  matter,"  replies  Joshua.  "  Now 
put  away  the  strange  gods  that  are  among  you" — which 
suggests  but  too  plainly  the  reason  why  Joshua  is  so 
thorough  and  searching  in  this  exhortation  against 
idolatry.  Even  then  idol  gods  were  secretly  held  and 
worshiped  by  some  of  the  people.  A  special  and  most 
solemn  covenant  is  therefore  ratified  in  Shechem — all 
the  people  pledging  themselves  to  cast  away  their 
idol  gods,  and  give  their  hearts  entirely  to  the  God  of 
their  national  covenant. 

Next  wo  read :  "  Joshua  wrote  these  words  in  the 


Joshua's  last  words.  45 

book  of  the  law  of  God."  What  "  booh  "  is  this  ?  What 
and  how  much  did  it  contain?  Something  more  than 
the  decalogue ;  more  even  than  the  decalogue  with  the 
addition  of  "  the  statutes  and  judgments."  To  be  the 
appropriate  place  for  this  record,  it  must  have  been 
historical  as  well  as  prec€2:)tive — the  book  which  contained 
whatever  God  had  said  and  done  of  which  a  permanent 
record  was  kept ;  which  brings  us  to  this  result ;  that 
this  phrase,  "  The  book  of  the  law  of  God,"  included 
the  Pentateuch  and  whatever  subsequent  matter,  like 
the  account  of  this  proceeding,  it  was  important  to  put 
on  permanent  record  for  the  use  of  future  generations. 

Again,  studying  the  usage   of  this  phrase,  "  The 

book  of  the  law  of  God,"  we  first  meet  the  fact  that  the 
phrases,  "  The  book  of  the  law,"  and  "  The  book  of  the 
law  of  Moses"  are  in  very  frequent  use  to  indicate  the 
Pentateuch  (e.  g.  Deut.  28 :  61,  and  29 :  21,  and  30 :  10, 
and  31 :  26 ;  and  Josh.  1 :  8,  and  8 :  31 ;  and  2  Kings  14  : 
6).  The  phrase  as  here  (Josh.  24:  26),  "The  book  of 
the  law  of  God,"  occurs  rarely,  yet  manifestly  stands 
related  to  those  cited  above,  only  substituting  "  law  of 
God  "  for  "  law  of  Moses  " — a  substitution  Avhich  indi- 
cates, (a)  that  it  is  inspired ; — (b)  that  it  is  a  continua- 
tion of  the  Pentateuch,  being  a  "  law  "  in  the  same 
sense,  yet  not  the  law  of  Moses,  but  only  a  continuation 
of  it. 

Joshua  made  another  memorial  of  this  transaction — 
a  great  stone  set  up  under  an  oak  near  the  sanctuar}^ 
of  the  Lord.  This  usage — a  memorial  stone — appears 
as  far  back  as  Jacob  in  Bethel;  and  also  in  Joshua's 
history  at  the  crossing  of  the  Jordan.  With  remarka- 
ble vividness  of  imagination,  Joshua  says;  "This  stone 
shall  be  a  witness,  for  it  hath  heard  all  the  words  of  the 
Lord  which  he  spake  unto  us ;  it  shall  be,  therefore,  a 
witness  unto  you,  lest  ye  deny  3'our  God  "  (v.  27). 

The  book  of  Joshua  then  closes  with  the  statement 
of  his  age  and  death — of  course  annexed  by  some  later 

hand. V.  31  states  that  Israel  served  the  Lord,  not 

only  during  the  life  of  Joshua,  but  of  all  the  elders 
that  survived  him,  and  had  seen  those  great  works  of 
the  Lord  that  he  had  done  for  Israel.  This  is  gratify- 
ing proof  that  a  rich  and  wholesome  moral  influence 
came  in  from  those  great  manifestations  of  power  and 
of  faithful  loving-kindness  in  the  fulfillment  of  long 


46  Joshua's  last  words. 

standing  promise.  The  best  generation,  niorall}^,  in 
the  entire  history  of  Israel  is  this  which  served  under 
Joshua,  amid  miracles,  wars,  and  the  grand  fulfillments 
of  God's  ancient  promises. 

Of  Josliua  it  is  pleasant  to  note  that  his  character  as 
presented  in  sacred  history  is  faultless.  Morally  he  ap- 
pears under  all  circumstances  true-hearted  and  inflexi- 
bly firm  in  steadfast  obedience  to  his  God. Like  the 

other  great  men  whom  God  has  raised  up  for  some 
special  work,  Joshua  was  made  for  his.  Undeniably  he 
was  one  of  the  world's  greatest  generals.  Against  an 
enemy  long  skilled  in  war,  and  abounding  in  the  best 
appliances  of  the  military  science  of  the  age,  he  de- 
veloped out  of  the  most  crude  material  an  army 
really  invincible — an  army  that  may  be  said  never  to 
have  lost  a  battle.  Joshua  seems  under  God  to  have 
inspired  them  with  his  own  dauntless  heroism  and 
lofty  faith.  Make  whatever  discount  we  may  for  the 
occasional  presence  of  miraculous  manifestations,  it  is 
quite  plain  from  the  history  that  Joshua's  men  per- 
formed prodigies  of  valor,  and  evinced  a  celerity  of 
movement,  a  terrific  fury  of  onset,  and  an  amount  of 
physical  endurance  which  are  almost  incredible.  The 
presence  of  miracle  did  not  supersede  the  demand  for 
the  very  highest  qualities  of  the  true  soldier  and  of  the 
great  commander.  Everywhere  in  his  military  life, 
Joshua  evinces  the  finest  qualities  of  the  general.* 

*  Before  we  lay  aside  the  conquest  of  Canaan  under  Joshua,  let  us 
note  the  masterly  movement,  in  a  military  point  of  view,  by  which 

this  conquest  was  achieved. Comparing  the  two  supposable  points 

of  invasion ;  that  from  the  south,  say  in  a  direct  line  from  Egypt,  or 
coming  up  from  Kadesh-barnea  (Num.  14:  40-45),  with  the  approach 
from  the  east  across  tiie  .Jordan  near  Jericho,  the  latter  had  an  im- 
mense advantage  in  several  most  vital  points. (1.)  It  flanked  the 

enemy  and  struck  them  in  their  most  vulnerable  point; (2.)  It 

cut  their  forces  in  two,  placing  Joshua's  army  between  the  old  Amor- 
ites  and  Canaanites  on  the  south  and  the  great  Hittite  nations  on  the 

north; (3.)   It  gave  Joshua  the   facility  of  making    his    forced 

marches  immediately  preceding  his  two  great  battles,  along  natural 
llioroughfares  of  travel,  viz.,  that  from  Jericho  westward  to  Joppa, 
and  that  northward  up  the  valley  of  the  Jordan,  instead  of  crossing 
the  great  mountain  ranges  of  Judah,  as  he  must  have  done  had  he 
entered  the  country  from  Kadesh,  and  instead  of  encountering  a  cor- 
don of  immensely  strong  cities,  as  he  must  have  done  advancing  from 
3^gyP^-  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  Southern  and  South-western 
Canaan  was  full  of  the  strongest  walled  cities  (Lachish,  Gaza,  etc.), 
all  constructed  to  withstand  an  enemy  approaching /row  the  EgijjHian 
side.     The  early  history  of  Egypt  shows  that  their  military  cxpedi- 


JOSHUA.  47 

In  his  last  address  to  his  people  the  reader  will 
notice  the  same  striking  decision  of  character  and 
thorough  independence  of  thought  and  will  which  we 
have  seen  in  all  his  military  life.  To  the  people  he 
said,  "  If  ye  see  fit  to  serve  other  gods,  make  your  choice, 
As  for  iiiG  and  my  house,  we  will  serve  the  Lord.^^  My 
house  will  go  where  I  lead.  My  decision  is  made,  and 
can  never  be  reversed ;  ive  serve  the  Lord  J 

It  is  sad  to  think  that  the  last  days  of  so  good  a  man 
were  shaded  by  the  painful  apprehension  that  the  people 
whom  he  had  led  to  victory  and  conquest,  and  had 
planted  in  this  glorious  land  of  promise,  already  gave 
but  too  plain  indications  of  relapsing  into  idolatry. 
AVas  it  that  "  fullness  of  bread  "  and  rest  from  toil  were 
begetting  effeminacy ;  or  was  it  due  to  the  social  attrac- 
tions of  idol-worship  from  a  somewhat  cultured  people, 
suffered  to  dwell  among  them?  Be  the  cause  what  it 
may,  the  fact  is  apparent.  Joshua,  it  would  seem,  both 
saw  and  foresaw  that  idol-worship  was  and  was  to  be  the 
giant  sin  of  Israel.  How  then  could  he  die  in  peace 
without  bearing  his  most  emphatic  testimony  against 
this  sin?  No  wonder  he  accumulated  the  utmost  force 
of  appeal,  of  historic  testimony,  of  earnest  presentation, 
of  solemn  covenant,  and  of  impressive  memorial,  to  stem 
this  anticipated  and  already  apparent  tendency  to  idols. 
Venerable  man !  How  closely  did  he  follow  in  the  foot- 
steps of  Moses !  How  grandly  did  he  fill  the  sphere  God 
had  assigned  him !  Now  so  near  heaven,  about  to  close 
a  life  so  eventful,  it  is  sad  that  his  anticipations  of  the 
future  of  his  people  should  be  so  shaded — but  blessed  to 
think  that  amid  these  painful  apprehensions,  he  yet 
did  his  duty  so  fearlessly,  so  wisely,  so  well. 

tions  were    almost    universally  toward   the    north-east,  against  or 

through  Canaan. If  we  add  to  all  these  natural  advantages  of  his 

point  of  approach,  the  fact  that  crossing  the  Jordan  miraculously  at 
high  flood  and  taking  Jericho  by  miracle,  must  have  astounded  his 
enemies  and  smitten  their  souls  into  the  weakness  of  panic  and 
terror,  we  can  not  fail  to  see  that  God's  hand  was  present  to  make 
this  conquest  easy.  For  war,  as  seen  on  its  merely  human  side,  and 
as  military  force  is  measured  of  men,  Israel  was  Aveak;  Canaan  was 
powerful.  Yet  with  God  on  their  side,  Israel  was  mighty,  and  Canaan, 
against  them,  virtually  powerless.  Israel's  hosts  had  been  trained  in 
their  wilderness  life  only  to  foot  marches ;  scarcely  at  all  to  the  shock 
of  arms  in  battle ;  none  to  the  subjugation  of  walled  cities  or  the  con- 
struction of  fortifications.  Curiously  they  made  the  best  possible  use 
of  their  celerity  and  endurance  in  forced  marches  and  carried  both 
of  their  great  battles  largely  by  means  of  this  power. 


48  GENERAL  SCOPE   OF  JUDGES. 


CHAPTER   IV. 


The  Booh  of  Judges. 

As  to  the  author  of  this  book,  it  can  scarcely  be 
necessary  to  add  to  what  has  been  said  already  in  the 
introduction  to  Joshua.  A  history  of  Israel  was  pro- 
vided for — to  be  made  up  either  by  learned  priests,  or 
by  a  succession  of  prophets.  Some  contemporary  rec- 
ord of  the  leading  events  of  this  book  may  very  prob- 
ably have  been  put  in  writing  before  the  age  of  Sam- 
uel, and  he  may  have  put  it  in  its  present  form.  The 
demands  of  faith  in  this  book  as  a  part  of  the  in- 
spired oracles   are   satisfactorily  met   by  the  existing 

evidence, (1.)  That   a  history  of  the  great   events 

in  Israel  was  secured  under  God's  special  arrangements 

(as  above)  ; (2.)  That  this  growing  book  of  the  law 

of  God,  when  complete,  was  fully  indorsed  by  Christ 
and  his  inspired  apostles  as  the  oracles  of  God. 

The  General  Scope  of  this  book  is  obvious,  and,  more- 
over, is  brought  out  very  fully  in  chap.  2,  especially 
in  vs.  11-23.  Relapses  into  idolatry  incurred  the  dis- 
pleasure of  God ;  this  w^as  manifested  in  strengthening 
their  enemies  against  them  and  bringing  Israel  under 
severe  oppressions.  Then  the  people  cried  to  God  for 
help,  and  he  raised  up  Judges  who  delivered  them 
from  their  oppressors.  In  most  cases  these  men  judged 
Israel  in  peace  and  prosperity  during  their  remaining 
life.  Over  and  over  we  have  these  alternations :  sin ; 
punishment;  repentance,  and  prayer  for  help;  help 
coming  through  special  instruments  raised  up  of  God. 

The  careful  reader  will  notice  that  chap.  1  resumes 
and  continues  the  history  from  the  death  of  Joshua. 
"  Now  after  the  death  of  Joshua  it  came  to  pass  "  etc. 

(1 :  1). What  the  tribes  did,  and  what  they  did  not 

accomplish  in  the  w^ay  of  driving  out  the  Canaanites 
in  their  respective  localities  is  mainly  the  theme  of 

the  first  chapter. It  has  been  already  noticed  above 

(p.  2)  that  the  passage  (Judg.  1 :  11-15)  appears  sub- 
stantially in  Josh.  14  :  15-19.  Also  the  passage  (Judg. 
2 :  G-10)  appears  with  some  variations  in  Josh.  24  :  28- 


CONDITION    OF   THE   OLD   CANAANITES.  49 

31.  These  references  in  the  latter  book  to  the  earlier 
are  entirely  natural  in  an  author  whose  purpo&e  is  to 
resume  and  continue  the  history  onward. 

The  history  of  the  book  of  Judges  can  not  be 
thoroughly  understood  unless  the  reader  take  into  ac- 
count the  condition  of  the  old  Canaanite  population, 
and  also  the  religious  state  of  the  Israelites.     Let  it 

then  be  borne  in  mind; (1.)  That  Canaan,  though 

conquered,  was  only  partially  subdued.  Their  armies 
had  been  defeated  in  battle,  pursued,  scattered,  broken, 
and  most  of  their  strong  cities  captured  and  more  or 
less  thoroughly  destroyed ;  yet  still  they  remained  in 
very  considerable  force  in  the  countiy,  holding  some 
of  their  strong  points  of  defense.  Especially  along 
the  western  border  of  Canaan,  "  the  lords  of  the  Phil- 
istines, the  Canaanites,  the  Zidonians,  the  Hivites  of 
Mt.  Lebanon"  (3:  3)  remained  in  great  strength.  It 
is  one  thing  to  gain  a  great  battle,  and  quite  another 

to  exterminate  an  entire  population. (2.)  It  was  of 

the  Lord  to  leave  some  of  their  old  enemies  on  the  soil 
of  Canaan  in  strength.  This  point  is  distinctly  made 
in  the  history.  "  These  are  the  nations  which  the 
Lord  left "  (3 :  1).  "  I  will  not  henceforth  drive  out 
any  from  before  them  of  the  nations  which  Joshua 

left  when  he  died"  (2:  21). (3.)  The  reason  for  this 

policy  on  the  part  of  God  is  given  plainly ;  viz.,  the 
people  transgressed  their  covenant ;  relapsed  into  idol- 
atry; needed  to  be  scourged  and  chastened  to  bring 
them  back ;  and,  therefore,  God  suffered  these  tribes  of 
Philistia  and  Canaan  to  remain  in  sufficient  strength 
to  prove  Israel,  and  try  them,  and  scourge  them  back 
from  their  apostacies.  This  is  the  reason  which  the 
Lord  himself  assigns  (2:  19-23,  and  3  :  1-4). 

Hence  this  "book  of  Judges"  is  little  else  than  an 
alternation  from  prosperity  to  adversity,  corresponding 
to  the  moral  alternations  of  the  people  from  obedience 
and  penitence  for  their  sin  to  transgression  and  apos- 
tacy.  Forgetting  their  own  God;  falling  under  the 
social  influences  of  their  idolatrous  neighbors  ;  drawn 
by  intermarriages  into  dangerously  intimate  relations, 
and  so  into  idol-worship,  they  incurred  the  wrath  of 
God,  and  he  brought  them  into  political  bondage  to 
some  adjacent  hostile  power. 

Chap.    3   records    two   distinct   scenes   of  apostacy, 


50  EGLON   OF   MOAB  AND   EHUD. 

oppression,  and  deliverance. (a.)    "God   sold  them 

into  the  hands  of  Chushan-rishathaim,  king  of  Mesopo- 
tamia— Syria  of  the  rivers  (Euphrates  and  Tigris). 
Eight  years  under  his  yoke  brought  the  nation  to 
penitence  and  prayer.  Then  the  Lord  raised  up 
Othniel,  a  nephew  or  younger  brother  of  Caleb,  for 
their  deliverer.  Expressively  it  is  said  that  "the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  came  upon  him,  and  he  judged 
Israel  and  went  out  to  war,  and  the  Lord  delivered 
this  Syrian  king  into  his  hands."  No  special  incidents 
of  this  deliverance  are  on  record,  save  that  after  his 
victory  the  land  had  rest  under  his  administration 
forty  years — to  his  death. 

(b.)  The  people,  having  relapsed  again  into  idol- 
worship,  the  Lord  strengthened  Eglon,  king  of  Moab 
against  Israel.  He  drew  to  his  alliance  Ammon  and 
Amalek,  and  smote  Israel,  and  "  possessed  the  city  of 
palm-trees."*  This  servitude  to-  Moab  continued 
eighteen  years.  Then  the  people  cried  to  God  for  help; 
and  he  raised  up  Ehud  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin.  Of 
his  deliverance  of  his  country  from  Moab's  king  and 
oppressions,  some  striking  incidents  are  told ;  e.  g.,  that 
he  prepared  a  double-edged  dagger  of  a  cubit's  length ; 
concealed  it  under  his  loose  oriental  tunic  upon  his  right 
thigh — an  unusual  and  therefore  unnoticed  position; 
that  he  was  sent  with  others  to  bear  the  national 
^present  to  king  Eglon,  then  residing  in  Israel  at  or 
near  Jericho  as  in  his  own  conquered  country;  that 
having  delivered  the  present  and  set  out  upon  his 
return,  he  suddenly  dismissed  his  attendants,  and  went 
back  to  the  king,  saying — ^"  I  have  a  secret  errand  unto 
thee,  0  king."  Eglon — his  thought  being  apparently 
on  some  royal  gift  and  not  upon  daggers — ordered  his 
attendants  out  and  received  Ehud  to  his  private  sum- 
mer chamber.  Ehud  came  near,  saying,  "I  have  a 
message  from  God  unto  thee."  The  king  arose  from 
his  seat :  Ehud  buried  his  dagger  in  the  king's  bowels 
— blade  and  haft — and  fled  tliat  chamber,  locking  the 
door  behind  him,  and  made  good  his  escape.  Before 
the  king's  death  was  known  he  had  distanced  his  pur- 
suers ;  and  then  lost  no  time  in  rallying  an  army  from 

*Tlii3  "city  of  palm  trees,"  mentioned  under  this  name  Judg.  1: 
]G,  is  definitely  said  (Deut.  34:  3,  and  2  Chron.  28:15)  to  be 
Jericho. 


DEBORAH   AND    BARAK.  51 

Israel  and  seizing  the  fords  of  Jordan.  In  the  issue  he 
cut  to  pieces  the  army  of  Moab — ten  thousand  men — 
thoroughly  broke  their  yoke,  and  gave  his  country  rest 
eighty  years. 

In  this  narrative  the  Hebrew  reader  would  notice 
that  the  word  translated  "errand  "  ["  a  secret  errand  "], 
and  "  message  "  ["  a  message  from  God,"  etc.]  is  the 
same,  being  the  usual  Hebrew  term  for  word^  but  hav- 
ing in  some  cases  the  sense  of  thing,  a  matter.  A  pri- 
vate word  for  thee;  a  word  from  God  to  thee — would 

well    express    his    meaning. The    word    translated 

"quarries"  (vs.  19,  26)  is  probably  the  name  of  a 
place — Pesalim,  and  was  near  Gilgal,  and  of  course  not 
far  from  Jericho,  the  city  of  palm-trees,  where  Eglon 
fell. 

In  Judg.  3 :  7,  we  read :  "  They  served  Baalim  and 
the  groves^^ — as  if  the  groves  were  an  object  of  their 
worship  as  well  as  Baal.  The  Hebrew  word  is  Asherah, 
probably  equivalent  to  Ashtoreth  or  Astarte — a  well- 
knovv^n  Phenician  goddess,  often  associated  with  Baal 
as  the  corresponding  female  and  male  gods  of  the 
Phenician  system  of  idols.  As  Baal  bore  some  relation 
to  the  sun,  so  did  Asherah  [Ashtoreth]  to  the  moon,  or, 
as  some  suppose,  to  Venus.  Her  usual  image  was  an 
upright  wooden  pillar,  or  often  the  upright  trunk  of  a 
tree — its  head  and  branches  removed.  This  circum- 
stance may  have  led  to  the  translation  "  groves,"  which, 
however,  lacks  authority.  This  worship  was  horribly 
obscene  and  debasing. 

Deborah  and  Barak. 

The  next  apostacy  began  probably  some  years  after 
the  death  of  Ehud,  since  we  can  scarcely  suppose  he 
lived  to  judge  Israel  full  eighty  years  after  the  deliv- 
erance from  Moab.  The  next  great  oppressor,  permit- 
ted of  God  to  scourge  the  nation,  was  Jabin,  king  of 
Canaan,  reigning  in  Hazor,  that  strong  northern  city 
which  led  the  combination  of  Northern  Palestine 
against  Joshua  (Josh.  11).  The  city  was  again  strong, 
its  king  having  at  command  nine  hundred  chariots  of 
iron.     Twenty  years  he  mightily  oppressed  Israel. 

This  time  deliverance  came  through  a  woman,  De- 
borah the  prophetess,  who  was  judging  Israel,  dwelling 


52  DEBORAH   AND   BARAK. 

under  a  palm-tree  which  bore  her  name,  between 
Ramah,  the  home  at  a  later  day  of  Samuel,  and  Bethel, 
the  spot  made  sacred  by  Jacob's  early  visions  of  God. 
Moved  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  to  heroic  daring,  she 
sent  for  Barak  of  Kedesh  in  Naphtali,  and  said,  "  Hath 
not  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  commanded,  saying.  Go  and 
draw  toward  Mt.  Tabor,  and  take  with  thee  ten  thou- 
sand men  out  of  Naphtali  and  Zebulun  ?  Then  I  will 
draw  out  to  the  river  Kishon  Jabin's  chief  captain 
Sisera,  and  all   his  host,  and  I  will  deliver  him  into 

thy  hand." Barak  promptly  answered,  "  If  thou  wdlt 

go  with  me,  I  go;  otherwise,  I  go  not."  Deborah  re- 
plied, "I  go;  but  it  shall  not  be  so  much  to  thine 
honor;  for  the  Lord  will  sell  Sisera  into  the  hand  of  a 
woman" — a  prediction  which  seems  to  have  had  a 
double  fulfillment,  for  a  woman  (Deborah)  was  virtu- 
ally the  head  of  the  armies  of  Israel,  and  another 
woman  (Jael  the  wife  of  Heber  the  Kenite)  took  the 
life  of  Sisera  and  no  small  share  of  the  glory  of  this 

deliverance. Barak  gathered  his  ten  thousand  men 

on  Mt.  Tabor.  Sisera  came  to  join  battle  with  him 
in  the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon  [Jezreel],  hang  at  the 
foot  of  Tabor,  through  which  flows  the  Kishon.* 

Adjacent  to  the  locality  of  this  battle  lived  Heber 
the  Kenite,  a  descendant  of  Hobab,  who  was  brother-in- 
law  to  Moses— his  family,  holding  a  somewhat  neutral 
position  between  the  great  contending  powers,  Israel 
and  Canaan.  The  battle  was  joined  in  the  great  valley 
of  Jezreel ;  the  host  of  Sisera  broke ;  he  leaped  from  his 
chariot  and  fled  on  foot  through  some  by-way  doubtless, 
and  turned  in,  weary,  to  the  tent  of  Jael.  She  met 
him  with  inviting  words ;  laid  him  to  rest  in  her  tent, 
and  covered  him  with  a  mantle.  Thirsty  and  hungry, 
he  asked  and  obtained  water  and  milk;  drank  and 
then  slept.     Whether  it  came  of  Jael's  faith  in  Israel's 

*  This  remarkable  plain,  in  form,  roughly  put,  a  triangle;  the  base, 
its  east  line  about  fifteen  miles  long;  its  north  side,  formed  by  the 
hills  of  Galilee,  about  twelve  miles  long,  and  its  south  side,  skirted 
by  the  Samaria  range,  about  eighteen  miles.  Through  its  apex  on 
the  west  flows  out  the  Kishon  draining  its  waters  into  the  Mediterra- 
nean.  This  plain  has  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most  celebrated  bat- 
tle-fields of  all  history.  Here,  after  Barak,  fought  Gideon  and  the 
Midianites ;  here  Saul  fell  before  the  Philistines ;  Josiah  before  the 
Egyptians  under  Necho;  here,  in  later  times,  fought  Vespasian,  the 
Crusaders,  and  Buonaparte. 


DEBORAH   AND   BARAK.  63 

God,  or  of  her  historic  memories  of  Moses  and  of  Israel, 
or  of  her  recent  sympathy  with  a  long  and  sorely  op- 
pressed people — which,  or  all  combined— we  may  not 
be  able  to  say;  but  some  heaven-born  impulse  moved 
her  soul  to  the  heroic  deed.  Armed  with  a  workman's 
hammer  and  a  tent-spike,  she  stole  up  softly  and  smote 
this  tent-pin  deep  into  his  temples,  and  fastened  it 
through    his    head    into    the    ground — to   his   death. 

Barak,  in  hot  pursuit,  came  up  ere  long,  and  Jael 

called  him  in  to  show  him  the  man  he  was  seeking — 
Sisera  dead ;  the  nail  through  his  head  to  tell  the  story 
of  his  fall!  So  God  subdued  Jabin  that  day  before 
Israel. 

Deborah  embalmed  this  story  in  sacred  song.  Her 
emotions  of  joy,  gratitude,  and  praise  were  too  strong  to 
be  suppressed — too  rich  to  find  fit  utterance  otherwise 
than  through  poetry  and  music.  Why  should  not  such 
a  woman's  heart  indite  poetry  and  pour  itself  forth  in 
holy  song  ?  So  we  have  in  this  fifth  chapter  of  the  book 
of  Judges — one  of  the  oldest  songs  known  to  the  literature 
of  the  world — a  beautiful  specimen  of  Hebrew  poetry, 
and  of  its  felicitous  adaptation  to  music,  praise,  and 
thanksgiving. 

This  song  opens  (v.  2)  with  the  briefest  reference  to 
the  great  theme  of  praise ;  calls  triumphantly  (v.  3) 
on  all  kings  and  princes  to  give  ear  to  her  song ;  sets 
forth  in  lofty  poetic  conceptions  the  coming  of  Jehovah 
from  the  south,  in  earthquake,  tempest,  and  storm  for 
their  help  (vs.  4,  5) ;  then  falls  back  to  give  histori- 
cally the  state  of  the  country  prior  to  this  great  victory 
(vs.  6,  7)  ;  refers  to  the  giant  sins  which  brought  on 
these  foreign  wars  (v.  8) ;  calls  on  men  of  every  grade, 
rulers  and  people,  to  join  in  her  song  (vs.  9-11) ;  then 
summons  herself  and  Barak  to  their  tribute  of  praise 
(v.  12).  Again  she  resumes  the  history  of  this  great 
event — how  she  called  the  people  to  battle  (v.  13) ;  how 
one  tribe  after  another  responded  or  did  not  respond  to 
this  call  (vs.  15-18)  ;  how  the  kings  of  Canaan  came 
and  fought,  but  took  no  spoil  (v.  19),  because  God  and 
his  stars  in  the  heavens  and  all  the  forces  of  nature 
fought  for  Israel  (vs.  20-22).  God's  angel  bids  them 
curse  Meroz  who  would  not  come  to  the  help  of  the  Lord 
(v.  23) ;  but  blesses  Jael  the  Kenite — whose  exploits  the 
Bong  spreads  out  in  ample  detail  (vs.  25-27),  not  omit- 


54  DEBORAH   AND   BARAK. 

ting  a  home  picture  of  the  scenes  in  Sisera's  houshold 
and  the  kindling  expectations  there  which  were  never 
realized !  (vs.  28-30) ;  closing  with  the  prayer  that  all 
God's  enemies  may  perish  in  like  manner;  and  his 
loving  friends  be  as  the  sun  going  forth  in  his  might 
(V.  31). 

1.  Then  sang  Deborah  and  Barak  the  son  of  Abinoam  on  that  day, 
saying, 

2.  Praise  ye  the  Lord  for  the  avenging  of  Israel,  when  the  people 
willingly  oflered  themselves. 

In  the  phrase  translated  here,  *'  for  the  avenging  of 
Israel,"  critics  have  held  diverse  views,  mostly  adverse  to 
our  English  version.  The  best  lexicographers  (Gesenius, 
Fuerst,  and  Robinson)  give  it — "  for  the  leading  on  of  the 
leaders  in  Israel,"  corresponding  to  the  next  clause — 
"  And  for  the  hearty  volunteer  service  of  the  people." 
The  first  theme  of  her  song  is  that  both  rulers  and  people 
led  off  so  freely  and  so  nobly  in  this  uprising  for  freedom. 
The  test  word — the  noun  rendered  "avenging" — occurs 
elsewhere  only  in  Deut.  32 :  42,  and  there  in  the  sense 
of  ruler. 

3.  Hear,  0  ye  kings;  give  ear,  0  ye  princes;  I,  even  I,  will  sing 
unto  the  Lord;  I  will  Q\ng  prnise  to  the  Lord  God  of  Israel. 

Are  these  kings  and  princes  those  of  Israel  or  of 
Canaan?  Doubtless  of  Canaan.  This  summons  to  them 
comes  of  her  full  heart,  of  her  dauntless  spirit,  and  of 
her  piety.  She  would  show  them  the  might  of  Israel's 
God,  and  invite  them  to  solemn  consideration. 

4.  Lord,  when  thou  wentest  out  of  Seir,  when  thou  marchedst  out 
of  the  field  of  Edom,  the  earth  trembled,  and  the  heavens  dropped, 
the  clouds  also  dropped  water. 

5.  The  mountains  melted  from  before  the  Lord,  even  that  Sinai  from 
before  the  Lord  God  of  Israel. 

So  God  came  in  glorious  majesty.  This  poetic  con- 
ception of  the  coming  of  God  for  the  help  of  his  people 
(technically  called  a  "  theo2)hany  ")  is  by  no  means  un- 
common in  the  lofty  strains  of  Hebrew  poetry.  Exam- 
ples may  be  seen  in  Deut.  33 :  2,  and  Ps.  18 :  7-14,  and 

GS :  7-9,  and  Hab.  3. In  point  of  interpretation  the 

only  question  is  whether  it  describes  historically  God 
coming  on  Sinai  at  the  giving  of  the  law,  or  conceives 
poetically  of  God  as  having  his  abode  in  that  wilderness 
where  his  personal  manifestations  were  so  striking,  but 
as  coming  up  from  that  quarter  in  tempest  and  storm 


DEBORAH   AND   BARAK.  55 

for  the  help  of  his  people  against  the  Canaanites  as  he 
came  forth  of  old  on  Sinai.  The  latter  construction  is 
preferable.  The  song  (vs.  20,  21)  indicates  a  terrific 
storm — the  stars  of  heaven  (perhaps  thought  of  as  ruling 
the  elements)  fighting  against  Sisera,  and  the  old  river 
Kishon,  suddenly  swollen  by  the  torrents  of  rain,  sweep- 
ing away  their  foes,  the  living  and  the  dead,  in  masses 

piled. "The    heavens   dropped" — rather   let    their 

waters  drop  ;  poured  them  forth — oceans  of  water. In 

the  phrase  "the  mountains  melted,"  modern  critics 
universally  favor  another  root  for  the  Hebrew  verb,  with 
the  sense,  tremble,  shake  with  mighty  convulsions. 

6.  In  the  days  of  Sbamgar  tlie  son  of  Anath,  in  the  days  of  Jael, 
the  highways  were  unoccupied,  and  the  travelers  walked  through 
by-ways. 

7.  The  inhabitants  of  the  villages  ceased,  they  ceased  in  Israel,  until 
that  I  Deborah  arose,  that  I  arose  a  mother  in  Israel. 

Shamgar  (Judges  3 :  31)  and  Jael  seem  to  have  judged 
Israel  next  before  Deborah.  The  phrase  "  in  the  days 
of"  implies  that  they  were  public  and  prominent  men, 
and  forbids  us  to  suppose  that  this  Jael  was  the  heroine 

of  our  song. The  public  highways  were  unoccupied, 

no  one  daring  to  travel  there.  Life  was  so  insecure, 
men  feared  to  go  from  place  to  place  except  through 

unknown  tortuous  by-ways. In  v.  7,  the  word  "m- 

hahitants^''  has  no  Hebrew  equivalent,  and  the  word  trans- 
lated "  villages  "  should  be  rulers.  The  rulers — the 
magistrates  of  the  country  who  should  have  protected 
life  and  enforced  law,  were  inactive — practically  power- 
less. The  protecting  power  of  law  was  suspended,  vir- 
tually dead,  until  Deborah  arose,  a  true  "  mother  in 
Israel,"  to  shield  property  and  life— to  restore  law  and 
order. 

8.  They  chose  new  gods ;  then  u-as  war  in  the  gates :  was  there  a 
shield  or  spear  seen  among  forty  thousand  in  Israel? 

The  sense  of  the  first  clause  is  controverted,  the  better 
opinions  being  with  our  version,  referring  the  phrase  to 
idolatry,  as  the  sin  which  brought  foreign  w^ars  upon 
them  even  to  their  gates.  These  wars  found  them 
almost  utterly  unarmed — a  fact  which  made  this  great 
victory  the  more  striking  and  the  more  glorious  to  God. 
The  resistless  enthusiasm  of  Israel's  warriors  supplied 
the  place  of  shield  and  spear 


66  DEBORAH  AND   BARAK. 

9.  My  heart  is  toward  the  governors  of  Israel,  that  offered  them- 
selves willingly  among  the  people.     Bless  ye  the  Lord. 

"  My  heart  is  toward  " — might  without  violence  be 
taken  to  express  her  gratitude.  Yet  since  this  verse 
closes  with  the  words,  "  Bless  ye  the  Lord,"  and  the 
next  two  verses  are  in  the  same  strain,  it  seems  better 
to  give  the  words  this  turn :  My  heart  goes  out  to  the 
governors  of  Israel,  exhorting  them  to  unite  with  me 
in  blessing  and  praising  our  great  Jehovah. 

10.  Speak,  ye  that  ride  on  white  asses,  ye  that  sit  in  judgment,  and 
walk  by  the  way. 

11.  They  that  are  delivered  from  the  noise  of  archers  in  the  places 
of  drawing  water,  there  shall  they  rehearse  the  righteous  acts  of  the 
Lord,  evefi  the  righteous  acts  toicard  the  inhabitants  of  his  villages  in 
Israel:  then  shall  the  people  of  the  Lord  go  down  to  the  gates. 

"  Speak,"  i.  e.,  in  praise  to  God ;  give  utterance  aloud 

to  your  joyful   thanksgivings. "Ye    that   ride   on 

white  asses ; "  men  holding  office  and  honored  with  this 

distinction. "Ye    that    sit    in    judgment,"    should 

rather  be,  ye  that  recline  on  splendid  carpets,  luxurious 

tapestries.     The  Hebrew  words  demand  this  sense. 

"  Walk  by  the  way."  These  are  the  people  in  the 
humbler  walks  of  life  who  travel  on  foot,  having  no 

means  of  riding. In  v.  11,  the  poet  has  in  mind  the 

joyful  scenes  of  dividing  the  spoil  at  the  great  water- 
ing places  where  the  returning  victors  halted  to  rest. 
She  calls  on  them  to  suspend  that  division  of  spoil  for 
a  song  of  praise  to  rehearse  the  glorious  things  God 
had  wrought,  and  then  go  in  peace  to  their  homes.  Our 
English  version  fails  in  several  points  to  give  the  sense 
of  the  original.  Better  thus  (following  Dr.  E.  Robin- 
son) :  "  At  the  voice  of  those  who  divide  the  spoil  by  the 
watering  troughs.  There  shall  they  celebrate  the  vic- 
tories of  Jehovah,  the  victories  of  his  princes  in  Israel. 
Then  shall  the  people  of  the  Lord  descend  to  their 
gates."  Or  the  more  precise  sense  of  the  Hebrew  trans- 
lated "  at  the  voice  "  may  be,  more  than — high  above — the 
shouts  of  joy  over  the  dividing  of  the  spoil,  let  their 
songs  of  praise  to  God  ascend,  etc. ;  or  iwssibly — Because 
of  those  shouts  of  joy,  etc.  We  meet  with  a  historic 
scene  of  revelry  over  spoils  in  1  Sam.  oO :  16,  and  poetic 
illustrations  from  such  scenes  in  Isa.  9 :  3. 

12.  Awake,  awake,  Deborah:  awake,  awake,  utter  a  song:  arise, 
Barak,  and  lead  thy  captivity  captive,  thou  son  of  Abinoam. 


DEBORAH    AND    BARAK.  57 

Deborah  will  not  fall  behind  in  this  outpouring  of 
grateful  song.     In  lofty  self-excitation  she  calls  upon 

herself  and  Barak  to  lead  off  in  this  celebration. 

"  Lead  thy  captivity  captive  " — means,  Lead  thy  cap- 
tives away  into  captivity. 

13.  Then  he  made  him  that  remaineth  have  dominion  over  the 
nobles  among  the  people:  the  Lord  made  me  have  dominion  over  the 
mighty. 

The  English  translation  of  v.  13  is  very  defective; 
(a)  In  (apparently)  following  some  other  than  the  re- 
ceived and  best  supported  text :  (b)  In  omitting  the 
verb,  "  I  said,  which  "  manifestly  should  be  supplied,  as 
it  often  needs  to  be  in  Hebrew  poetry  at  the  com- 
mencement (as  here)  of  a  new  strain.  The  verbs  of  the 
verse  (in  our  English)  "made  him  have  dominion;" 
"  made  me  have  dominion,"  most  obviously  signify — go 
down  (imperative),  i.  e.,  into  the  battle.  The  poetess 
throws  herself  back  to  the  point  where  she  summoned 
the  men  of  Israel  from  all  the  adjacent  hills  of  Pales- 
tine to  come  down  into  this  great  valley  of  Esdraelon 
to  the  battle,  and  invokes  the  Lord  Jehovah  to  come 
with  them.  I  would  translate  (with  Robbins,  Bib. 
Sacra,  July,  1855,  p.  608). — "  Then  I  said,  Descend  ye 
residue,  to  the  aid  of  the  nobles  of  the  people,  descend 

for  me,  Jehovah,  against  the  mighty. "  Ye  residue," 

means  all  ye  surviving  people  who  have  escaped  death 
during  the  desolating  wars  and  oppressions  then  re- 
cent. The  nobles  of  the  people  are  ready,  in  advance  of 
the  rank  and  file  of  the  army.  The  latter  are,  there- 
fore, specially  exhorted  to  come  on  !  Nothing  could  be 
more  appropriate  than  this  call  upon  Jehovah  also  to 
come  down  in  her  behalf  among  these  heroes  for  their 
help. 

14.  Out  of  Ephraim  loas  there  a  root  of  them  against  Amalek ;  after 
thee,  Benjamin,  among  thy  people ;  out  of  Machir  came  down  gov- 
ernors, and  out  of  Zebulun  they  that  handle  the  pen  of  the  writer. 

15.  And  the  princes  of  Issachar  were  with  Deborah;  even  Issachar, 
and  also  Barak  :  he  was  sent  on  foot  into  the  valley.  For  the  divi- 
sions of  Reuben  there  were  great  thoughts  of  heart. 

16.  Why  abodest  thou  among  the  sheepfolds,  to  hear  the  bleatings 
of  the  flocks  ?  For  the  divisions  of  Reuben  there  were  great  search- 
ings  of  heart. 

Here  with  a  few  rapid  touches  she  indicates  the 
various  responses  given  to  her  call  by  these  several 


58  DEBORAH   AND   BARAK. 

tribes.  ''  Out  of  Ephraim  "  [came  those]  "  whose  root  " 
— home,  dwelling-place — was  on  Mt.  Amalek.  (See 
Judg.  12 :  15  for  this  locality.)  ''After  thee  was  Ben- 
jamin among  thy  people."  "  From  Machir  "  (repre- 
senting Manasseh)  "came  down  leaders ;  out  of  Zebulun. 
those  who  bear  the  ruler's  scepter.  The  princes  of 
Issachar  were  with  Deborah ;  Issachar  w^as  the  support 
of  Barak ;  they  rushed  down  into  the  valley  at  his 
feet."  The  song  is  with  the  history  (4 :  10,  14)  in  the 
fact  that  the  main  force,  especially  the  rank  and  file, 

were  from  Issachar  and  Zebulun. What  is  said  of 

Reuben  is,  to  say  the  least,  doubtful  praise.  The  latter 
part  of  V.  15  opens  this  subject :  the  verse  should  have 
begun  at  that  point.  The  English  translation  is  by 
no  means  felicitous.  Reuben  on  the  east  of  Jordan  was 
a  well  watered  country,  of  the  finest  pasturage,  and 
covered  with  its  flocks  and  herds. Instead  of  read- 
ing, "  For  the  divisions  of  Reuben,"  read — "  Alongside 
or  at  the  streams  of  Reuben  "  (where  they  were  leading 
and  feeding  their  flocks)  "  there  were  great  resolves  of 
heart" — [nothing  more!]  Hear  the  expostulations  of 
the  poetess :  "  Why  didst  thou  sit  down "  [at  thine 
ease]  "to  listen  to  the  bleatings  of  thy  flocks?"  Was 
that  the  right  thing  for  men — loyal-hearted  men — to 
do  when  summoned  to  arms  for  their  country  and  for 

their  country's  God  ? Then  with  a  touch  of  sarcasm 

she  repeats  with  only  slight  variation,  and  that  a  play 
upon  the  former  word;  "At  the  streams  of  Reuben 
there  were  great  searchings  in  thought."  They  pon- 
dered over  this  matter  full  long,  and  talked  great  reso- 
lutions— but  all  came  to  nothing !  Their  country  in 
her  peril  gat  no  help  from  Reuben  ! 

17.  Gilead  abode  beyond  Jordan:  and  why  did  Dan  remain  in 
ships  ?     Asher  continued  on  the  seashore,  and  abode  in  his  breaches. 

Gilead,  the  mountainous  region  east  of  Jordan,  held 
by  the  two  and  a  half  tribes,  seems  here  to  represent 
Gad,  and  perhaps  the  half  of  Manasseh — Reuben  hav- 
ing already  received  special  consideration.  Gilead 
abode  [at  his  ease],  all  quiet  as  if  with  no  care  for  his 
imperiled  brethren  on  the  west  and  north.  Dan  and 
Asher,  lying  upon  the  shore  of  the  great  sea — why  did 
they  sit  down  at  their  ease  by  their  ships  and  around 
their   harbors?     Just  far  enough   removed  from   the 


DEBORAH   AND   BARAK.  59 

scenes  of  this  great  battle  to  be  (probably)  safe  them- 
selves, why  should  they  be  so  selhsh  as  to  sit  stolidly 
down,  and  leave  their  brethren  to  imperil  their  lives  to 
the  death  on  the  field  of  blood  ? 

18.  Zebulun  and  Naphtali  were  a  people  that  jeoparded  theii-  lives 
unto  the  death  in  the  high  places  of  the  field. 

Zebulun  and  Naphtali  were  the  people  who  made  no 
account  of  their  lives  on  the  heights  of  the  battle-field. 
Literally,  they  "  scorned  their  lives ; "  accounted  life  a 
matter  of  no  special  consequence,  compared  with  the 
salvation  of  their  country. 

19.  The  kings  came  and  fought ;  then  fought  the  kings  of  Canaan 
in  Taanach  by  the  waters  of  Megiddo;  they  took  no  gain  of  money. 

In  this  one  verse  with  briefest  words  the  song  puts 
before  us  the  mighty  conflict  of  arms.      "  Kings  came 

and  foughtJ^ The  precise  battle-ground — designated 

here  as  "  Taanach  " — has  been  identified  in  modern 
times,  near  the  "  waters  of  Megiddo,"  i.  e.,  the  river 
Kishon,  which  drains  the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon  into 

the   Mediterranean. What    was    the    result    of  the 

battle  ?  This  :  they  took  no  spoil.  We  see  below  (vs.  29, 
30)  that  this  was  the  chief  end  thought  of  and  sought 
— at  least  by  the  women  of  these  warriors.  But  they 
got  none.  This  sufficiently  signifies  that  they  lost  the 
battle. 

20.  They  fought  from  heaven;  the  stars  in  their  courses  fought 
against  Sisera. 

21.  The  river  of  Kishon  swept  them  away,  that  ancient  river,  the 
river  Kishon.     0  my  soul,  thou  hast  trodden  down  strength. 

22.  Then  were  the  horse-hoofs  broken  by  the  means  of  the  prancings, 
the  prancings  of  their  mighty  ones. 

Why  this  vast  army  and  their  hundreds  of  war 
chariots  made  no  better  fight  is  told  here.  God  was 
against  them.  Great  powers  "fought  from  heaven."  The 
Hebrew  verb  being  impersonal — "  There  was  fighting 
from  heaven  " — we  are  left  to  supply  the  person — which 

could  be  none  other  than  the  mighty  God. "  The  stars 

in  their  courses  fought " — should  probably  be  taken  to 
mean  that  all  the  agencies  of  the  lower  heavens — 
tempest,  storm,  lightning — were  in  this  battle,  God's 
angels  of  death,  to  whelm  in  ruin  those  hosts  of  Canaan.-'' 

*  Describing  this  battle  Josephus  (Book  V.  chap,  v.)  says — "When 
they  were  come  to  a  close  fight,  there  came  down  from  heaven  a 


60  DEBORAH   AND   BARAK. 

As  the  men  of  Canaan  worshiped  the  heavenly 
bodies,  it  was  an  astounding,  terrible  retribution  that 
those  stars  and  the  elements  of  the  lower  heaven  should 

join  Israel  in  this  battle  against   them. It  seems 

that  Barak  and  these  powers  of  heaven  drove  the  men 
of  Canaan  with  fearful  rout  into  the  deep  ravine 
through  which  the  Kishon  drains  this  great  plain. 
The  river,  swollen  to  flood  by  the  mighty  rain  storm, 

drowned  many  of  the  living  and  swept  off  the  dead. 

*'  That  ancient  river,"  called  "  ancient,"  not  because  it 
was  older  than  other  rivers,  but  either  because  it  (po- 
etically) "covered  itself  with  glory,"  and  embalmed 
its  name  in  history  to  be  ever  remembered ;  or,  in  a  dif- 
ferent sense  of  the  original  word — river  of  battles,  or  of 
combatants — those  who  meet  you  in  front  as  opponents. 
The  primary  sense  of  the  root  is  to  be  in  front  or  be- 
fore ;  and  is  applied  to  tinu  in  the  sense  of  ancient,  or 
to  an  opponent. 

The  poetess  thinks  now  of  the  fall  of  her  mighty 
foes,  and  accosts  herself:  "0  my  soul,  thou  hast  trod- 
den dov>^n  the  mighty" — i.  <?.,  the  strength  of  mighty 

men. The  rapid  flight  of  the  mounted  warriors  is 

prominent  in  her  poetic  conception  of  this  battle. 
Thus  V.  22 :  "  Then  did  the  horses'  hoofs  smite  the 
ground  through  the  haste — the  haste  of  their  valiant 
riders."  The  original  word  suggests  horses  leaping, 
prancing,   sweeping  round  in  circles  as  when  under 

training. To  speak   of   flying   horsemen   as  brave, 

valiant  ("mighty  ones"),  may  be  slightly  sarcastic. 
Brave  men  they  were,  were  they?   But  how  they  fled! 

These  touches  complete  her  sketch  of  the   battle 

scene. 

23.  Curse  ye  Meroz,  said  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  curse  ye  bitterly 
the  inhabitants  thereof;  because  they  came  not  to  the  help  of  the 
Lord,  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  against  the  mighty. 

great  storm,  with  a  vast  quantity  of  rain  and  hail,  and  the  wind 
blew  the  rain  in  the  face  of  the  Canaanites,  and  so  darkened  their 
eyes  that  their  arrows  and  slings  were  of  no  advantage  to  them ;  nor 
would  the  coldness  of  the  air  permit  the  soldiers  to  use  their  swords; 
while  this  storm  did  not  so  much  incommode  the  Israelites,  because 
it  came  in  their  backs.  They  also  took  such  courage,  upon  the  ap- 
prehension that  God  was  assisting  them,  that  they  fell  upon  the  very 
midst  of  their  enemies  and  slew  a  great  number  of  them,  so  that 
some  of  them  fell  by  the  Israelites,  some  fell  by  their  own  horses 
which  were  put  into  disorder,  and  not  a  few  were  killed  by  their  own 
chariots." 


DEBORAH   AND    BARAK.  61 

Meroz,  a  village  or  city  unknown  to  fame  or  history 
save  through  this  dishonorable  mention,  seems  to  have 
lain  near  the  scene  of  this  battle,  or,  perhaps,  of  this 
retreat,  where  her  warriors  might  have  done  ready 
and  effective  service  if  they  had  come  forth  to  the  help 
of  the  Lord,  i.  e  .,  of  the  Lord's  army.  With  their  own 
warriors,  is  the  sense  required  by  the  Hebrew,  rather 
than  against  the  mighty  hosts  of  Canaan. 

This  command  to  curse  Meroz,  she  is  inspired  to 
declare,  comes  from  "the  angel  of  the  Lord."  How 
made  known  to  her,  we  are  left  with  no  means  of  cer- 
tain knowledge.  It  is  supposable  that  she  had  an  im- 
pressive consciousness  that  God  moved  her  in  this  entire 
uprising  against  Jabin  and  his  allies;  and  thus  God's 
angel  was  present  to  her  soul  as  the  captain  of  the 
Lord's  host  (Josh.  5 :  13-15),  inspiring  both  her  call 
to  Israel's  warriors,  her  rebuke  of  the  tribes  that  made 
no  response,  and  her  malediction  upon  those  who  like 
Meroz  had  the  finest  of  opportunities  for  most  effective 
help,  but  would  not  come. 

24.  Blessed  above  women  shall  Jael  the  wife  of  Heber  the  Kenite 
be ;  blessed  shall  she  be  above  women  in  the  tent. 

25.  He  asked  water,  and  she  gave  him  milk ;  she  brought  forth  but- 
ter in  a  lordly  dish. 

26.  She  put  her  hand  to  the  nail,  and  her  right  hand  to  the  work- 
men's hammer;  and  with  the  hammer  she  smote  Sisera,  she  smote 
off  his  head,  when  she  had  pierced  and  stricken  through  his  tem- 
ples. 

27.  At  her  feet  he  bowed,  he  fell,  he  lay  down:  at  her  feet  he 
bowed,  he  fell:  where  he  bowed,  there  he  fell  down  dead. 

The  transition  of  thought  from  Meroz  to  Jael — from 
those  who  would  not  come  to  the  Lord's  help,  to  her  who 
would,  and  who  so  nobly  did,  is  both  natural  and  full 
of  force.     Let  her  be  honored  among  women,  yea  above 

all   women   who  dwell    in    tents. The   reader  will 

note  hoAf  the  poetess  dwells  on  each  prominent  fact 
with  impressive  reiteration,  as  if  she  could  not  hold 
these  points  before  her  mind's  eye  too  long.  You  see 
all  the  transaction ;  how  she  puts  forth  one  hand  to  the 
tent-pin ;  another,  her  right  hand,  to  the  workmen's 
hammer;  how  then  she  smote  with  her  might  and 
sent  it  crashing  quite  through  his  head;  it  passed 
through  his  temples.  Our  translators  slightly  missed 
the  sense  in  supposing  that  she  beheaded  her  victim. 
Neither  the  words  of  the  song  as  here,  nor  those  of  the 


62  DEBORAH   AND   BARAK. 

history  (4 :  21)  mean  that.  Rather  she  drove  the  nail 
quite  through  his  head  and  fastened  him  to  the  ground. 
Four  Hebrew  verbs  in  succession  depict  this  scene,  the 
last  three  nearly  synonymous  in  this  sense  of  piercing 
through,  crashing  along,  transfixing.  Then  we  have 
the  struggle  of  the  dying  man  till  all  is  over!  How 
true  to  the  genius  of  graphic  poetry ! 

28.  The  mother  of  Sisera  looked  out  at  a  window,  and  cried  through 
the  lattice,  Why  is  his  chariot  so  long  in  coming  ?  why  tarry  the 
wheels  of  his  chariot  ? 

29.  Her  wise  ladies  answered  her,  yea,  she  returned  answer  to 
herself, 

30.  Have  they  not  sped?  have  they  not  divided  the  prey;  to 
every  man  a  damsel  or  two ;  to  Sisera  a  prey  of  divers  colors,  a  prey 
of  divers  colors  of  needlework,  of  divers  colors  of  needlework  on  both 
sides,  meet  for  the  necks  of  ihem  thai  take  the  spoil  ? 

Why  the  mother  of  Sisera,  rather  than  his  wife  or 
sister?  Is  this  historic  fact,  or  poetic  imagination? 
Probably  fact,  because  fiction  would  be  very  unlikely 
to  say  mother.  If  fact,  it  indicates  a  contemporary 
writer,  intimately  familiar  with  the  minutest  circum- 
stances of  the  case. Why  does  his  chariot  shame  us 

[Hebrew]  as  to  its  coming  ?  ^.  e.,  delay  so  long  as  to 

shame   our   exj^ectation  ? Her  lady  attendants  are 

represented  as  shrewdly  ["  wise  "]  forecasting  the  cause 
of  this  delay  and  relieving  her  anxiety.  The  army  of 
Sisera  are  of  course  victorious,  and  are  delayed  only  to 
divide  the  great  spoil.  Noticeably  in  this  enumeration 
of  spoil,  female  captives  stand  first  in  order  and  highest 
in  value  ;  then  ornament,  dress,  decoration,  and  nothing 
else !     A  woman's  conception  of  woman's  estimate  ! — 

true  enough,  if  not  to  nature,  at  least  to  fact! This 

is  only  one  among  many  points  in  this  song  which  in- 
dicate a  woman's  pen  and  conception.  A  military  his- 
torian (say  Caesar)  would  have  shown  us  the  position 
of  the  contending  hosts  and  given  the  science  of  the 
battle;  but  in  this  song  of  thirty  verses,  not  more  than 
three  (19-21)  are  given  to  the  battle  proper.  On  the  other 
hand,  Deborah's  part  in  this  whole  movement — a  part 
entirely  appropriate  to  a  "  mother  in  Israel " — stands  in 
the  foreground  throughout.  Her  Christian  soul  in- 
dites the  thanksgiving,  and  never  loses  sight  long  of  the 
mighty  hand  of  God  in  their  deliverance.  She  tells  us 
of  her  efforts  to  call  out  the  brave  men  of  every  tribe ; 
in  what  cases  she  succeeded  and  in  what  she  failed ;  how 


DEBORAH   AND   BARAK.  63 

her  womanly,  noble  heart  honored  the  former  and  up- 
braided the  latter ;  and,  not  least,  how  she  sympathized 
with  the  spirit,  so  kindred  to  her  own,  which  was  in 
Jael  the  wife  of  Heber  the  Kenite.  If  the  genius  of  any 
song  were  ever  true  to  its  author,  bearing  internal  evi- 
dence of  being  the  production  of  its  author  and  not  of 
another,  this  song  may  claim  such  evidence  of  being 
genuine. 

31.  So  let  all  thine  enemies  perish,  0  Lord  :  but  let  them  that  love 
him  he  as  the  sun  when  he  goeth  forth  in  his  might.  And  the  land 
had  rest  forty  years. 

She  does  not  take  time  to  tell  us  how  Sisera's  mother 
and  her  wise  ladies  met  their  disappointment  and  saw 
their  pretty  fancies  vanish  in  one  short  moment ;  but 
she  suggests  that  it  reminds  her  of  the  way  in  which 
all  God's  enemies  perish  and  all  their  thoughts  and 
plans  against  him  come  to  abortion.  Nay  more,  her 
heart  is  in  the  result  of  this;  her  sympathies  are  in- 
tensely deep  and  strong,  and  withal  are  thoroughly /o?* 
God  and  against  his  enemies.  With  what  terseness  and 
force  does  she  put  it !  So  let  all  thine  enemies  perish, 
O  Lord ;  whenever,  anywhere  in  the  lapse  of  the  ages, 
they  take  up  arms  against  Thee,  or  how  strong  soever 
they  may  be  in  chariots  and  in  horsemen — let  them  go 
down  quick  to  such  a  doom  as  this !  But  let  all  who 
love  God  and  put  themselves  with  heart  and  hand  upon 
his  side,  be  as  the  rising  sun  sweeping  up  the  eastern 

heavens  in  his  might  and  glory ! Could  any  thing  be 

more  beautiful,  nay,  rather,  more  sublimely  grand  in 
poetic  conception  than  this? 

But  some  one  may  say  (more  than  one  has  said),  that 
such  joy  over  scenes  of  human  carnage  is  at  least  un- 
womanly if  not  inhuman  and  unchristian,  and  will 
ask — as  if  the  very  question  carried  their  argument — 
Is  this  loving  one's  enemies?  Is  this  blessing  those 
who  curse  us,  and  doing  good  to  those  who  persecute  us, 
and  praying  for  our  murderers  ? 

A  full  answer  must  include  several  points,  mainly 
reducible  to  these  three  : 

1.  The  utterance  of  her  heart  said  to  God,  ^Hhine  ene- 
mies," not  mine.  Not  mine  merely;  not  mine  (as  in 
her  thought)  mainly ;  in  fact  not  mine  with  sufficient 
prominence  to  come  into  notice  at  all.  She  never  even 
alluded  to  them  as  her  own  personal  enemies.     More- 


64  DEBORAH   AND    BARAK. 

over,  "by  contrast  and  implication  they  are  those  who 
do  not  love  God.  Her  prayer  is  that  all  who  love  God 
may  be  as  the  rising  sun  in  his  glory. 

2.  Nothing  said  here  forbids  that  she  may  have  felt 
sincere  compassion  for  those  dying  Canaanites  con- 
sidered as  sentient  and  suffering,  although  she  prayed 
and  labored  for  their  overthrow  as  God's  enemies.  This 
discrimination  is  certainly  not  unknown  to  Christian 
experience,  however  remote  it  may  be  fi-om  the  con- 
ception of  those  who  criticise  and  condemn  this  prayer 
of  Deborah. 

3.  It  is  sufficient  to  reply  comprehensively,  once  for 
all,  that  the  sympathies  of  this  prayer  and  of  this 
woman  Deborah  were  with  God — with  God  most  thor- 
oughly, ^most  intensely,  and  (so  far  as  appears)  were 
nothing  other  or  else.  She  loved  God's  honor,  God's 
people,  God's  cause  on  earth;  she  gave  to  it  her  best 
wisdom,  her  great  social  power,  her  noble  heroism,  her 
highest  womanly  powers  of  piety,  poetry,  song,  and 
praise.  What  more  or  other  than  this  can  be  reasonably 
demanded  of  a  great  and  noble  woman?  She  adjusted 
herself  precisely  to  the  circumstances  in  which  God 
placed  her.  She  lived,  not  in  our  age,  but  in  her  own — 
when  God's  people  stood  against  their  enemies  by  dint, 
not  of  patient  suffering,  but  of  heroic  fighting,  imperil- 
ling their  lives  on  the  high  places  of  the  bloody  fields 
of  real  war.  It  is  quite  idle  for  us  to  hint  that  it  would 
have  been  more  Christian  for  Deborah  and  her  people 
to  have  suffered  even  to  martyrdom  rather  than  take 
the  life  of  their  enemies.  It  is  somewhat  out  of  place 
for  us  to  review  the  policy  of  the  God  of  Israel  and  sug- 
gest that  it  would  have  been  a  better  example  and  a 
better  spirit  if  he  had  forbidden  his  people  to  take  the 
life  of  their  and  his  enemies.  No ;  it  rather  becomes  us 
to  withhold  our  criticism  upon  the  ways  of  God,  and 
admit  that  he  may  have  had  the  best  of  reasons  for  the 
policy  under  which  he  disciplined  and  ruled  Israel  in 
those  ages. 

As  to  Deborah,  it  must  suffice  for  her  vindication 
that  she  put  herself  in  full  sympathy  with  God,  and 
met  the  circumstances  and  conditions  of  her  time  with 
the  truest  Christian  heroism.  If  she  had  lived  in 
Judea  with  Christ  and  his  disciples,  or  in  Rome  with 
Peter  and  Paul,  she  would  (with  the  same  spirit)  have 


GIDEON.  65 

suffered,  like  Jesus  and  like  the  martj^red  apostles, 
even  to  death,  praying  withal  for  her  A^ery  murderers. 
The  former — the  life  she  actually  lived— was  neither 
more  nor  less  than  adjusting  herself  to  the  demands  of 
full  sympathy  with  God  under  her  actual  circum- 
stances. The  latter — the  life  of  apostles  and  martyrs 
— was  nothing  more  or  higher  than  this.  Under  any 
and  all  conceivable  circumstances,  there  can  be  no 
higher,  no  nobler,  virtue  for  mortals  than  to  be  in  per- 
fect sympathy  with  God.  Falling  sweetly,  bravely, 
wholly  into  his  will ;  doing  or  suffering  all  that  obedi- 
ence to  that  will  demands,  is  man's  highest  virtue  and 
truest  glory.  To  do  this  is  not  piety  and  virtue  in  the 
age  of  Paul,  but  malignity  and  sin  in  the  age  of  De- 
borah. To  assume  that  it  is  would  imply  a  radical 
change  in  the  moral  character  of  God,  taking  place  be- 
tween the  times  respectively  of  Deborah  and  of  Paul. 

Scenes  in  the  Life  of  Gideon. 

The  recorded  history  of  Gideon  fills  three  chapters 
(6-8),  and  illustrates  one  great  central  lesson.  It  also 
presents   certain   subordinate    points,   deserving   brief 

notice. The   central   lesson  is  that  the  Lord  saves 

according  to  his  wisdom,  by  man}^  or  by  few;  it  being 
all  the  same  with  him,  inasmuch  as  "the  excellency 
of  the  power  "  is  altogether  of  God  and  never  of  man. 

This  lesson  stands  in  somewhat  special  adaptation  to 
the  character  of  Gideon.  When  the  Lord  first  proposed 
to  Gideon  to  send  him  against  the  Midianites,  he  re- 
plied, "AVherewith  shall  /  save  Israel?  Behold,  my 
family  is  poor  in  Manasseh,  and  I  am  the  least  in  my 
father's  house  "  (6 :  15).  Here  it  was  pertinent  for  the 
Lord  to  answer,  "  I  will  be  with  thee,"  and  that  is 
always  enough.  The  God  of  Israel  is  mighty  to  save, 
whether  by  few  or  by  many.  He  can  save  by  the 
smallest  man  in  the  small  half-tribe  of  Manasseh.  And 
the  Lord  shaped  the  circumstances  of  this  case  to  bear 
toward  the  illustration  of  this  great  lesson. 

Some  of  the  antecedents  deserve  notice.  Israel  had 
fallen  again  into  idolatry  after  Deborah  had  passed 
away,  and  the  Lord  brought  them  under  subjection  to 
Midian  seven  years.  The  men  of  Midian  and  Amalek 
came  up  from  the  populous  east,  like  "grasshoppers 
4 


66  GIDEON. 

for  multitude,"  and  like  the  locusts  also  in  their  rav- 
ages, devouring  the  harvests  of  the  land  and  leaving 
the  people  to  famish  with  hunger.  Want  brought  them 
to  reflection  and  to  prayer.  They  cried  to  God  for  help. 
First  he  sent  to  them  "a  prophet"  (6:  7-10),  to  remind 
them  of  his  past  mercies  and  of  their  recent  sins.  The 
reader  will  notice  that  this  is  the  first  recorded  instance, 
since  Moses,  of  a  prophet  raised  up  and  sent  of  God. 

His   name   is   not   given. God   introduced  himself 

specially  to  Gideon  by  means  of  an  angel;  yet  this 
angel  is  repeatedly  called  "the  Lord"  (6:  14,  15,  16,  23, 
24),  Gideon  seems  to  have  understood  that  this  call 
meant  business,  and  was  to  him  a  summons  to  action. 
Consequently  he  felt  that  he  must  become  well  assured 
that  the  call  came  truly  from  God.  We  may  note  with 
pleasure  that  this  was  the  only  doubtful  point  in  his 
mind ;  for  he  seems  never  to  question  God's  power  if 
only  it  be  truly  God.  "  If  now  I  have  found  grace  in 
thy  sight,  then  show  me  a  sign  that  thou  talkest  with 
me"  (6:  17).  Perhaps  it  was  not  quite  settled  in  his 
mind  whether  this  personage  were  angelic  or  divine. 
Wishing  to  do  him  all  honor  whichever  he  might  be — 
moved,  it  may  be,  by  the  impulses  of  oriental  hospital- 
ity, he  besought  the  stranger  to  remain  in  that  place 
till  he  could  prepare  his  offering,  which  consisting  of  a 
kid  ready  for  the  table  and  unleavened  cakes,  was  of  a 
sort  to  be  eaten  as  food,  or  consumed  otherwise,  at  the 
option  of  his  visitor.  The  angel  directed  him  to  place 
his  provisions  (or  offering)  "upon  this  rock."  Gideon 
did  so;  and  the  angel,  having  touched  the  flesh  and 
cakes  with  his  staff,  fire  came  forth  from  the  rock  and 
consumed  them.  Then  Gideon  knew  him  to  be  an  angel 
of  the  Lord,  and  cried  out :  "  Alas  for  me !  for  I  have 
seen  an  angel  of  the  Lord  face  to  face."  The  Lord  gave 
him  an  answer  of  peace,  and  Gideon  built  an  altar  of 
the  memorial  sort,  giving  it  a  name  significant  of  this 
great  fact :  Jehovah — peace.  Thus  Gideon  is  becoming 
acquainted  with  God  and  prepared  for  more  intimate 
personal  relations. 

In  the  next  stage  of  these  events  the  Lord  directed 
him  to  tear  down  the  altar  of  Baal  and  cut  down  the 
tall  wooden  pillar  (not  "  grove  ")  in  Ileb.  Asherah,  oth- 
erwise called  Astarte — both  of  which  seem  to  have  been 
the  property  of  his  father.     The  men  of  the  city  (prob- 


GIDEON.  67 

ably  Canaan ites)  appear  to  have  worshiped  here,  for 
they  were  offended  and  indignant.  Further,  the  Lord 
commanded  Gideon  to  take  his  father's  young  bullock  -^ 
and  offer  him  as  a  sacrifice  on  this  altar  Avith  the  wood 
of  this  idol  image.  This  bold  act  evinced  the  spirit  of 
Gideon  and  put  him  right  on  the  record  before  the  peo- 
ple as  being  in  sympathy  with  the  true  God,  and  against 
all  idolatry.  It  legitimately  prepared  the  way  for 
Israel's  deliverance  from  Midian  b}'  his  hand. 

Then  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came  mightily  upon 
Gideon;  he  blew  the  war-trumpet,  calling  forth  the 
people  to  battle  against  Midian.  The  men  of  Abi- 
ezer,  his  own  tribal  family,  first  gathered  after  him. 
He  sent  messengers  to  other  tribes,  and  soon  had  an 
army  of  32,000  men.  Yet  still  Gideon's  mind  is  not  at 
rest  toward  God  as  to  his  promised  help,  but  craves 
some  unmistakable  sign.  He  proposes  to  put  a  fleece 
of  wool  on  the  open,  unsheltered  threshing-floor  over 
night,  and  suggests  that  the  sign  be — dew  on  the  fleece 
only;  none  on  the  earth  about  it.  Done;  yet  still 
Gideon  begs  the  Lord  to  make  it  more  decisive  by  one 
other  test — dew  on  all  the  ground  about  it,  and  none  on 
the  fleece.  This  also  the  Lord  granted;  and  Gideon 
seems  to  have  been  quite  satisfied.  Perhaps  it  was  for 
the  sake  of  his  followers  as  well  as  for  his  own  that  he 
sought  these  manifold  and  manifest  proofs  of  God's 
present  hand.  We  must  admire  the  patience  and  for- 
bearance of  God  in  consenting  to  put  himself  thus  on 
trial  and  in  meeting  so  kindly  what  had  at  least  some- 
what the  aspect  of  unbelief. 

The  small  army  of  Gideon  (32,000  men)  were  now  in 
camp  quite  near  the  almost  countless  hosts  of  Midian. 
The  Lord  came  to  Gideon  to  say — Your  men  are  too 
many,  "lest  Israel  vaunt  themselves  against  me"  as 
having  gained  their  victory  by  their  own  numbers  and 
valor,  and  without  God.  Send  home  all  who  are  fearful 
and  faint-hearted.f  22,000  went  home ;  10,000  remained. 
Again  the  Lord  came  to  say — There  are  still  too  many. 
They  must  be  sifted  again.  By  the  Lord's  direction 
Gideon  marched  his  men  down  to  a  stream  of  water. 
The  test  turned  on  the  manner  in  which  the  men  drank. 

*It  is  not  quite  clear,  from  the  original,  -whetlier  the  command  in- 
cluded two  bullocks  or  only  one. 

tThis  was  in  accord  with  the  Hebrew  war-law;  Deut.  20:  9, 


68  GIDEON. 

One  class  dropped  upon  their  knees  and  drank  from  the 
stream ;  another  class  dipped  up  water  in  the  palm  of 
the  hand  and  then  lapped  it.  Whether  this  latter  mode 
of  drinking  from  a  stream  indicated  more  power  of  en- 
durance or  less — more  martial  zeal  or  less — we  are  left 
to  form  our  own  opinion.  The  number  of  this  latter 
class  was  300.  The  Lord  said,  These  are  the  men  for 
the  victory  over  Midian  ;  send  home  the  other  class — 

9,700  strong. To  assure  Gideon's  faith  yet  the  more, 

the  Lord  sends  him  down  to  the  border  of  the  camp  of 
Midian  to  listen.  There  he  hears  a  man  of  Midian  re- 
port his  dream  to  his  fellow,  who  interprets  it  of  the 
sword  of  Gideon  into  whose  hand  God  had  delivered 
Midian  and  all  their  host  (7:  13,  14).  This  is  to 
Gideon  an  inspiration.  He  a(;cepts  it  as  the  voice  of 
God,  and  strikes  for  victory.  Arming  his  300  men  with 
trumpets  and  dark  lanterns  (a  lamp  concealed  in  a 
pitcher),  he  puts  his  men  in  a  circle  investing  the 
whole  camp,  with  orders  to  follow  his  example.  When 
all  had  reached  their  position,  Gideon  blew  his  trumpet 
and  shouted  :  "  The  sword  of  the  Lord  and  of  Gideon  ; " 
then  broke  his  pitcher  and  let  his  lamp  blaze  out.  In- 
stantly three  hundred  trumpets  and  three  hundred 
voices  are  in  chorus,  and  three  hundred  lamps  are 
gleaming  on  ever}^  side  of  the  camp  of  Midian.  It  was 
the  beginning  of  the  middle  watch,  i.  c,  toward  mid- 
night. The  panic  was  complete.  "  All  the  host  ran 
and  cried  and  fled."  The  Lord  set  every  man's  sword 
against  his  fellow,  with  no  discrimination  of  friend  or 
foe.  Doubtless  the  darkness  in  dead  of  night  conduced 
to  this  mutual  slaughter.  Of  course  the  men  of  Israel 
rallied  for  the  pursuit,  and  seized  the  fords  of  the  Jor- 
dan. "There  fell  on  that  day  120,000  men  that  drew 
sword "  (8 :  10;.  Midian  was  subdued,  and  Israel  was 
again  free. 

Incidentally  the  historian  records  the  extreme  and 
petty  jealousy  of  the  Ephraimites  because  they  were 
not  called  out  among  the  first.  Gideon  (of  the  tribe  of 
Manasseh)  answered  them  adroitly  by  magnifying  their 
exploits— an  offering  to  their  vanity.  "  What  have  I 
done  now  in  comparison  of  yoa?"  Perhaps  this  was 
the  wisdom  of  the  serpent.  It  proved  perfectly  success- 
ful, acting  like  a  charm  on  the  human  nature  of  the 
Ephraimites.     (See  8  :  1-3). 


GIDEON.  69 

The  closing  incident  of  this  history  brings  out  another 
sad  proof  of  the  amazing,  not  to  say  unaccountable,  pro- 
pensity of  the  Israelites  to  idol-worship.  The  pillage  of 
the  fallen  or  routed  Midianites  brought  great  quantities 
of  gold  into  their  possession.  For  reasons  (if  there 
were  any)  not  apparent,  Gideon  while  nobly  refusing  to 
take  the  scepter  offered  him  by  the  people,  did  request 
each  of  them  to  "give  him  the  golden  ear-rings  of  his 
prey  " — i.  e.,  the  share  falling  to  each  in  the  division  of 
the  spoil.  Gideon  (it  is  said)  made  of  this  gold  "  an 
ephod,  and  set  it  up  in  his  city,  and  all  Israel  went 
thither  a  whoring  after  it;  which  thing  became  a  snare 
unto  Gideon  and  to  his  house "  (8 :  27).  This  word 
"ephod"  usually  indicates  the  outer  robe  of  the  priests. 
Some  have  supposed  that  here  it  must  mean  a  golden 
image  regarded  as  an  idol.  Others,  that  it  rather  im- 
plied the  accompaniments  of  a  system  of  idolatry.  The 
former  view  is  favored  by  the  great  quantity  of  the  gold  ; 
by  the  fact  stated  of  its  being  ^^  set  up,^^  and  by  the  idol- 
atry which  ensued.  It  certainly  became  the  occasion  of 
a  sad  relapse  after  this  great  deliverance,  and  involves 

Gideon's  character  in  both  weakness  and  sin. The 

phrase — "  go  a  whoring  " — conceives  of  Israel  as  under 
covenant  with  God,  analogous  to  the  marriage  covenant, 
so  that  idolatry  in  them  was  the  sin  of  adultery  and 
whoredom  toward  God.  This  figure  of  speech,  as  it  was 
intensely  expressive,  became  very  common,  almost  the 
standard  illustration  of  this  giant  national  sin. 

Judg.  9  is  a  digression  from  the  general  current  of 
Hebrew  history  to  give  a  series  of  local  incidents  in 
which  Abimelech,  son  of  Gideon  by  his  concubine,  is 
the  central  actor  and  Shechem  the  principal  locality. 
The  historic  incidents  are  numerous  and  need  not  be 
given  in  detail  here.  I  refer  to  it  as  developing  the 
true  idea  of  history — viz.,  to  illustrate  great  principles  in 
GocVs  government  of  men,  moral  and  providential.  The 
principle  in  this  case  is  definitely  stated  in  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  story,  in  the  words — "  Thus  God  rendered 
the  wickedness  of  Abimelech,  which  he  did  unto  his 
father,  in  slaying  his  seventy  brethren:  And  all  the 
evil  of  the  men  of  Shechem  did  God  render  upon  their 
heads :  and  upon  them  came  the  curse  of  Jotham  the  son 
of  Jerubbaal."     (Judg.  9  :  b(j,  57). 

This  rendering  of  men's  wickedness  upon  their  own 


70  JEPHTHAH. 

head,  which  is  simply  a  righteous  retribution,  is  one 
of  the  great  laws  of  God's  administration  over  men, 
whether  as  communities,  nations,  or  individuals.  For 
the  illustration  of  this  great  law,  the  chapter  before  us 
is  on  record.  We  find  the  same  law  written  everj^where 
in  the  events  of  human  life.  How  wonderfully  does  it 
make  up  the  warp  and  woof  of  human  history !  Oh,  would 
men  but  open  their  eyes  to  see  and  read  it,  and  their 
hearts  to  receive  its  admonitory  lessons ! 

Resuming  the  thread  of  events,  the  historian  (chap. 
lOj  alludes  in  passing  to  the  judgeship  of  Tola  and  of 
Jair,  and  then  proceeds  to  describe  more  at  length  the 
great  defection  of  Israel  into  idolatry,  in  which,  it  would 
seem  (10:  6)  that  they  introduced  the  idol-gods  of  all 
the  contiguous  heathen  nations — the  gods  of  Syria, 
Zidon,  Moab,  Amnion,  and  Philistia.  Their  scourging 
in  this  case  came  from  the  Philistines  and  Ammonites, 
the  tribes  east  of  Jordan  suffering  first  and  most  severely, 
and  Gilead  under  Jephthah  taking  the  lead  in  the  re- 
sistance. The  history  sets  forth  God's  expostulation 
with  his  recreant  people.  "Did  not  my  uplifted  arm 
save  you  from  Egyptian  bondage  and  deliver  you  of  old 
from  the  very  same  enemies  under  whom  ye  are  now 
groaning — the  Ammonites  and  the  Philistines?  Yet  ye 
have  forsaken  me,  and  served  other  gods ;  wherefore  I 
will  deliver  you  no  more.  Go  and  cry  unto  the  gods 
whom  ye  have  chosen  ;  let  them  deliver  you  in  the  time 

of  your  tribulation." We  can  not  say  less  than  that 

this  rebuke  Avas  terribly  truthful  and  just;  but  alas 
for  Israel  if  the  Lord  had  given  them  only  simple  and 

stern  justice  1 The  reply  of  the  people  as  given  here 

was  the  best  possible  for  guilt}^  sinners  to  make  :  "  We 
have  sinned;  do  thou  unto  us  whatsoever  seemeth  good 
unto  thee;  only  deliver  us,  we  pray  thee,  this  day." 

Moreover,  they  not  only  offered  this  very  suitable 
]M'ayer  with  the  humblest  submission  to  whatever 
chastisements  the  Lord  might  inflict,  but  they  put 
away  their  strange  gods  and  served  the  Lord.  Then 
(as  we  read)  "  his  soul  was  grieved  for  the  misery  of 
Israel."  His  pity  and  compassion  were  moved.  Re- 
sentment, revenge — there  was  none  in  his  heart.     The 

way  was  fast  being  prepared  for  their  deliverance. 

Jrphfhah  became  God's  instrument  for  this  result.  An 
illegitimate  son,  cast  out  from  the  family  by  his  half- 


JEPHTHAH   AND    HIS   VOW.  71 

brothers,  he  fled  to  Tob  where  "vain  men"  (so-called) 
gathered  themselves  under  him  as  their  head,  follow- 
ing a  life  of  plunder  and  adventure — a  kind  of  life  not 
unknown  to  the  Arab  freebooters  of  the  same  country 
to  this  day.  The  fact  is  mainly  important  in  this  his- 
tory as  having  given  him  the  training  of  a  fearless, 
hardy,  capable  military  leader,  with,  however,  only  very 
meager  advantages  for  religious  knowledge  and  cul- 
ture. When  the  men  of  Gilead  looked  round  for  a 
man  equal  to  this  service  of  leadership  in  war,  their 

eye   rested  on   this  Jephthah. We  may  note   that 

Jephthah,  remembering  how  his  brethren  of  Gilead 
rudely  and  cruelly  cast  him  out  of  the  family,  stipu- 
lated in  this  case  that  if  the  Lord  delivered  Israel 
from  the  oppressions  of  Amnion  by  his  hand,  they 
should  make  him  their  head— manifesting  in  this  a 
spirit  that  does  not  compare   favorably  with  that  of 

Gideon   (8:   22,  23). Remarkably,  in  this  uprising 

against  the  oppressions  of  Ammon,  negotiations  pre- 
ceded war.  The  history  recites  the  arguments  as  put 
by  Jephthah,  and  answered  by  the  men  of  Ammon 
(11  :  12-28).  This  effort  having  utterly  failed,  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  came  upon  Jephthah  (v.  29),  and 
he  passed  round  among  his  people,  rallying  them  to 
arms,  and  then  marched  down  upon  Ammon.  At  this 
point  Jephthah  vowed  a  vow  unto  the  Lord  and  said — 
"If  thou  shalt  without  fail  deliver  the  children  of 
Ammon  into  mine  hand,  then  it  shall  be  that  whatso- 
ever Cometh  forth  from  the  doors  of  my  house  to  meet 
me  when  I  return  in  peace  from  the  children  of  Am- 
nion shall  surely  be  the  Lord's,  and  [perhaps  or']  I  will 

offer  it  up  for  a  burnt-offering." Jephthah  gained  a 

great  victory,  subdued  Ammon,  and  redeemed  his  peo- 
ple from  their  oppressions.  The  sequel  of  his  remark- 
able vow  is  fully  given  in  vs.  34-40 — in  substance 
thus:  Heturning  in  peace  to  his  house,  he  was  met 
first  by  his  only  chikl — a  daughter,  rushing  forth  to 
greet  him  with  timbrels  and  dances  as  at  once  a  father 
and  a  conqueror — the  savior  of  his  country.  The 
father's  heart  is  dead  to  this  joy,  overwhelmed  with 
anguish  because  of  his  vow.  "  Alas,  my  daughter"  (he 
cried),  "thou  hast  brought  me  very  low;  thou  art  of 
them  that  trouble  me ; "  no  trouble  has  ever  befallen 
me   like   this,  for  I  have  opened  my  mouth  to  the 


72  JEPHTHAH   AND   HIS   VOW. 

Lord,  and  I  can  not  go  back." It  is  probable  though 

not,  perhaps,  entirely  certain  that  at  this  stage  the 
daughter  fully  understood  the  vow.  The  agony  of  the 
father  was  fearfully  significant,  yet  she  bears  herself 
nobly.  "  Father,"  said  she,  "  if  thou  hast  vowed  to  the 
Lord,  go  on  and  perform  it,  since  the  Lord  has  given 
thee  such  victory  over  thine  enemies."  She  asks  but 
one  favor — two  months'  delay,  that  she  may  go  out  to 
the  retirement  of  her  native  mountains,  and  there  with 
her  companions  "bewail  her  virginit3^"  This  was 
granted.  Then  she  returned ;  and  the  record  has  it — 
her  father  "did  to  her  according  to  his  vow,  and  she 
knew  no  man."  It  is  not  said  definitely  lohat  he  did 
with  her.  This  remains  somewhat  an  open  question — 
with,  however,  a  strong  preponderance  of  critical  opin- 
ion and  also  of  evidence  favoring  the  view  that  he 
made  her  a  burnt-offering,  taking  her  life  and  burning 
her  dead  body  entire  upon  the  altar. Finally,  it  be- 
came a  custom  for  the  daughters  of  Israel  to  gather 
four  daj^s  each  year  "  to  lament  the  daughter  of  Jeph- 
thah."  The  margin  reads,  not  "lament,"  but  talk  withy 
on  the  supposition  that  her  doom  was  not  death,  but 
perpetual  virginity.  The  Hebrew  word,  little  used, 
signifies  to  celebrate  with  praises,  to  give  forth  the 
voice ;  but  apparently  not  as  in  conversation,  but  rather 
as  in  song  and  praise. 

Turning  our  thought  now  to  the  main  question, 
WJiat  was  done  to  JephthaKs  daughter?  we  must  answer 
in  the  first  place,  she  was  in  some  way  devoted  to  God. 
Tliis  is  obvious,  and  indeed  unquestionable.  The  only 
]K)ssible  point  of  doubt  lies  in  the  way  and  manner  of 
this  devotement.  The  alternatives  here  are  these 
three  : (1.)  Death  as  a  burnt-offering  ; — -(2.)  Abso- 
lute consecration  to  God — the  term,  "burnt-offering" 
being  on  this  supposition  used  figurativel}^,  and  so  not 
implying  consumption  upon  the  literal  altar,  but  com- 
plete and  unreserved  devotement  to  God's  service.  So 
Paul  (Rom.  12 :  1)  exhorts  that  "  ye  present  your  bodies 
a  living  sacrifice  :" or  (3.)  Perpetual  virginity. 

In  making  our  choice  between  these  three  alterna- 

ti  ves,  we  should  be  governed (a.)  By  the  current 

usage  of  the  language,  especially  the  words  of  the  vow. 

(b.)  By  the  force  of  the  facts  given  in  the  narrative. 

(c.)  By  the  usages  of  Jephthah's  time  and  by  the 


JEPHTHAH  AND   HIS   VOW.  73 

notions  and  ideas,  superstitious  or  religious,  which  he 
may  be  reasonably  supposed  to  have  hekl. 

The  usage  of  the  language  comes  legitimately  first. 
Men  must  be  assumed  to  say  what  they  mean — to  speak 
in  order  to  be  understood,  and,  therefore,  to  use  their 
words  in  the  customary  sense  of  those  words  among  the 

people  at   the  time. Now,  interpreting  Jephthah's 

vow  by  the  use  of  words  in  the  Mosaic  law,  we  are  com- 
pelled to  think  of  an  animal  laid  whole  upon  the  altar 

and   there   consumed. The   force   of  the   attendant 

facts  narrated  here  bears  in  the  same  direction.  The 
agony  of  the  father  when  his  daugther  rushed  out  to 
meet  him;  the  heroism  of  the  daughter;  and  the  an- 
nual commemoration  of  this  event  four  days  in  each 
year — all  look  strongly  toward  this  excessively  sad,  ag- 
onizing result. But  over  against  these  considera- 
tions there  are  others,  worthy  of  notice,  which  favor  a 
different  conclusion.  Perhaps  we  can  not  assume  that 
Jephthah  knew  much  about  the  Mosaic  ritual  law.  If 
he  had,  he  would  have  seen  that  a  rash  vow  like  this 
should  have  been  repented  of,  and  not  performed  in 
its  letter.  If  he  had  he  could  not  have  thought  it 
pleasing  or  due  to  God  to  murder  his  daughter. — Then 
further,  we  may  ask — What  could  he  have  been  think- 
ing of  as  likely  to  come  forth  first  from  his  house  to 
meet  him  on  his  return?  He  knew  there  was  but  one 
child  there — his  only  daughter — more  likely,  therefore, 
to  be  this  ^^ivhatsoever^''  than  any  other  living  being. 
There  was  only  the  smallest  probability  that  this  an- 
imal would  be  a  lamb,  a  bullock,  or  a  kid — ^.  e.,  of  the 
class  permitted  for  burnt-offerings.  As  to  domestic 
animals,  dogs,  pets  of  nameless  kind — we  know  quite 

too  little  to  make  even  a  conjecture. Jephthah  used 

the  masculine  gender;  literally  thus :  "It  shall  be  that 
the    outcomer    (masculine)    which    shall    come    forth 

from  the  door  of  my  house shall  be  for  the  Lord, 

and  I  will  offer  him  (masculine)  as  a  burnt-offering." 

I  infer  from  this  that  he  certainly  did  not  think  of  his 
daughter  as  likely  to  be  this  forthcoming  person  or 
animal.     His  surprise  and  agony  when   he   saw  her 

coming  bear  to  the  same  point. 1  am  aware  it  may  be 

replied  to  this  that  rash  vows  do  not  imply  much  fore- 
thought; that  the  great  mistake,  not  to  say  sin,  of 
Jephthah  lay  in  the  fact  that  he  did  not  think;  that 


74  JEPHTHAH   AND  HIS   VOW. 

he  opened  his  mouth  under  the  pressure  of  intense 
emotion,  pressed  by  the  momentous  crisis,  and  feeling 
that  something  must  be  done  to  propitiate  the  favor 
and  gain  the  blessing  of  God;  and  that  under  these 
emotions  he  spake  most  unadvisably  and  with  no 
proper  consideration. 

In  interpreting  this  transaction,  it  is  our  weakness 
that  we  know  so  little  of  Jephthah — of  his  early  educa- 
tion, of  his  religious  or  superstitious  ideas,  and  of  the 
current  notions  and  usages  of  the  people  on  the  east 
of  Jordan.  What  were  their  notions  about  vows? 
What  about  human  sacrifices?  What  about  devote- 
ment  to  God  in  ways  other  than  by  burning  entire  on 
the  altar  ?  If  we  had  light  on  all  these  points ;  espe- 
cially if  we  had  proofs  of  a  usage  in  which  young  men 
or  young  women  either,  were  devoted  to  God  by  a  life 
of  seclusion  from  society,  celibac}^,  perpetual  virginity 
— we  should  have  some  foothold  for  the  opinion  that 
this  vow  issued  in  such  a  result.  But  in  the  absence 
of  proof  or  indication  as  to  this  we  can  not  rest  in  this 
opinion.  It  is  much  more  probable  that  Jephthah 
sympathized  with  notions  respecting  human  sacrifices 
which  are  known  to  have  been  prevalent  in  Syria  and 
in  Moab.  For  the  latter,  see  2  Kings  3:  26,  27.  As  to 
the  former,  Porphyry  (cited  by  Eusebius,  Prep.  Evan. 
IV  :  16)  says — "  In  all  great  emergencies  of  war,  of 
famine,  or  drought,  the  Phenicians  used  to  designate  by 
vote  one  of  their  nearest  and  dearest  as  a  sacrifice  to 
Saturn,  and  their  descendants,  the  Carthaginians,  sacri- 
ficed tlieir  finest  children  to  the  same  god."  This 
usage  of  the  Syrians  is  the  more  probably  the  origin  or 
suggestive  occasion  of  Jephthah's  vow,  from  the  fact 
that  according  to  this  record  (Judg.  10:  6)  "Israel 
served  the  gods  of  Syria,  and  of  Zidon,  and  of  Moab." 

The  prominence  given  to  her  "virginity"  as  the 
paramount  evil  in  her  case  somewhat  favors  the  opinion 
that  her  doom  was  not  death.  It  was  this  that  she  and 
her  female  companions  bewailed  upon  the  mountains  ; 
this  that  appears  in  the  record  as  the  consequence  of 
her  father's  performing  his  vow  (vs.  37,  38,  39) ;  "  She 
knew  no  man." 

The  construction  placed  second  (above)  in  the  list 
of  possi))le  alternatives,  which  would  make  Jephthah's 
words  figurative,  and  his  meaning  only  that  he  would 


JEPIITHAH   AND   HIS    VOW.  75 

fully  consecrate  to  the  Lord  in  the  spiritual  sense 
whatever  should  first  come  forth  from  his  house,  lies 
open  to  these  two  objections : — (a)  It  is  too  early  to 
look  for  a  figurative  use  of  the  burnt-offering.  Usages 
like  this  take  time  to  work  themselves  so  perfectly  into 
the  public  mind  that  they  naturally  become  figures  of 

speech  for  corrOvSponding  ideas  in  the  spiritual  world. 

(b)  There  is  the  greatest  reason  to  fear  that  spiritual 
ideas  were  not  sufficiently  developed  in  the  mind  of 
Jephthah  to  justify  such  a  construction  of  his  words  as 
we  may  reasonably  give  to  the  words  of  Paul.  Jephthah 
and  Paul  were  not  on  the  same  plane  of  religious 
thought  and  culture.  We  may  wish  they  were,  and 
may  feel  that  it  would  be  an  immense  relief  to  us  to 
think  of  Jephthah  as  only  consecrating  his  beloved  and 
noble  daughter  to  most  sacred  service  for  the  living 
God.  But  with  this  sense  to  his  word,  why  should  he 
be  so  stricken  with  grief  in  the  thought  of  performing 
his  vow  ? 

That  Jephthah  was  in  the  main  a  good  man — so  good 
that  the  Lord  could  use  him  for  the  deliverance  of  his 
people,  is  obvious.  Was  his  record  as  to  this  vow  given 
here  to  show  that  God  can  use  very  imperfect  and 
erring  men,  provided  they  are  honest?  or  to  show  how 
crude  and  semi-heathenish  were  the  current  notions  of 
that  age  and  country,  and  how  little  the  true  spirit  of 
the  Mosaic  code  had  leavened  society?  On  these  and 
similar  questions  we  seem  to  lack  the  data  we  so  much 
need  for  decisive  opinions. 

The  little  fragment  of  history  with  which  Jephthah's 
record  closes  (chap.  12)  shows  him  rather  rash  than 
prudent  and  conciliating,  putting  him  in  sharp  con- 
trast with  Gideon  under  similar  circumstances.  Those 
jealous  Ephraimites  come  to  light  again,  complaining 
indignantly  that  they  were  not  summoned  first  to  the 
war  and  to  the  glory  of  this  victory.  They  must  have 
crossed  the  Jordan  in  great  force  to  demand  reparation 
or  to  take  vengeance  for  this  assumed  tribal  insult. 
In  the  issue  they  attacked  the  men  of  Gilead,  who 
smote  and  drove  them  back ;  took  the  fords  of  the  Jor- 
dan ;  tested  the  Ephraimite  by  his  provincial  pronun- 
ciation of  "Shibboleth;"  and  put  to  the  sword  42,000 
men— a  terrible  punishment  upon  a  very  ridiculous 
jealousy  and  a  very  rash,  unjustifiable  assault.     We 


76  SAMSON   AND   MANOAH. 

get  here  a  dark  view  of  social  and  national  life  in 
Israel. 

Jephthah's  judgeship  was  of  six  years  onl}^,  and  was 
apparently  limited  to  the  region  east  of  the  Jordan.  At 
least  there  is  no  indication  of  its  extending  to  the 
western  tribes. 

This  chapter  (12)  closes  with  the  briefest  notice  of 
Ibzan  as  Judge,  from  Bethlehem  in  Judah ;  of  Elon, 
Judge  from  Zebulun ;  and  of  Abdon  of  Ephraim. 

The  Story  of  Samson, 

Of  the  four  chapters  (13-16)  which  tell  the  story  of 
Samson,  the  first  records  the  antecedents  of  his  birth. 
His  mother,  long  childless,  had  a  vision  of  an  angel,  of 
whom,  reporting  the  case  to  her  husband,  she  said  :  "A 
man  of  God  came  unto  me,  and  his  countenance  was 
like  the  countenance  of  an  angel  of  God,  very  terrible." 
It  was  one  of  those  manifestations  of  the  Holy  One  in 
which  the  personage  is  called  interchangeably  "  the 
Lord"  or  "God;"  and  "the  angel  of  the  Lord" — such 
as  appears  in  the  historv  of  Abraham  (Gen.  22 :  11-14) ; 
of  Jacob  (Gen.  32 :  24-30) ;  of  Moses  (Ex.  23 ;  20-23) ; 
and  of  Gideon  (Judg.  6:  11-24).  This  personage,  being 
questioned  as  to  his  name  (13  :  17,  18)  declined  to  give 
it,  "seeing  it  is  Pele  "  (Heb.),  meaning  wonderful  (not 
as  in  the  English  text  "  secret ") — the  very  name  which 
appears  in  the  list  of  names  given  to  the  glorious 
Messiah  by  Isaiah  (9  :  6)  :  "  For  unto  us  a  child  is  born; 
unto  us  a  son  is  given;  and  the  government  shall  be 
upon  his  shoulders,  and  his  name  shall  be  called  Won- 
derful, Counsellor,   the   Mighty   God,    the   Everlasting 

Father,  the  Prince  of  Peace." Following  the  example 

of  Gideon  in  a  similar  case,  Manoah  begged  the  priv- 
ilege of  entertaining  his  guest  with  a  kid  and  a  meat- 
offering, but  received  from  him  the  suggestion  that  his 
guest  was  divine,  not  human;  and  the  appropriate  hos- 
pitality would  be  a  sacrifice  suitable  for  God,  and  not 
food  for  the  eating  of  man. 

When  he  had  placed  his  offering  to  the  Lord  upon  a 
rock,  the  angel  "wrought  wonderfull}^ "  (according  to 
the  import  of  his  name) ;  for  when  the  flame  arose  from 
the  burning  flesh  on  the  altar,  the  angel  ascended  in 
that    flame — and    the    vision    was    no    more! He 


SAMSON   AND  MANOAH.  77 

had  previously  made  his  communication,  first  to  the 
mother,  last  to  the  father  of  the  child  Samson,  whose 
birth  he  came  to  herald,  and  whose  training  he  came  to 
prescribe.  He  would  have  this  child  a  Nazarite  to  God 
from  the  womb  to  his  grave  under  the  solemn  vow  to 
drink  neither  wine  nor  strong  drink,  and  that  no  razor 
should  ever  pass  over  his  head.  The  mother  also  was 
to  maintain  a  like  abstinence  from  strong  drink  and 
from  all  unclean  food.  The  case  of  the  Nazarite  was 
provided  for  in  the  Institutes  of  Moses,  the  record  of  it 
standing  in  Num.  6 :  1-21.  This  vow  might  run  for  a 
limited  time  or  for  life — the  case  of  Samson  and  also  of 
Samuel  being  of  the  latter  class.     Paul  (as  in  Acts  18 : 

18)  was  a  case  of  the  former  sort. By  this  vow  the 

subject  was  brought  into  peculiar  relations  to  God.  In 
the  present  case  the  supernatural  strength  of  Samson 
and  his  special  fitness  for  his  mission  as  a  scourge  upon 
the  Philistines  and  a  Redeemer  and  Judge  for  Israel 
turned  upon  his  faithful  observance  of  his  vow.  We 
may  notice  the  connection  between  being  filled  with 
the  Spirit  and  not  filled  with  wine,  as  in  Eph.  5  :  18. 

An  interesting   point  of  this   brief  history  is  the 

very  appropriate  solicitude  of  the  father  of  Manoah  to 
see  the  angel  for  himself  and  learn  from  his  own  lips 
what  they  should  do  to  the  child  that  should  be  born. 
"  Now  let  thy  words  come  to  pass  "  (said  he).  "  How  shall 
we  order  the  child,  and  what  shall  we  do  unto  him?" — bet- 
ter ;  what  shall  be  his  doing,  i.  e.,  what  shall  he  do?  (13  :  8, 
12,  13.)  And  the  angel  repeated  the  points  previously 
given  to  the  mother  (vs.  4,  5,  7).  So  all  legitimate  conse- 
cration of  offspring  to  God  under  his  proposed  covenant 
carries  with  it  the  obligation  to  train  them  from  birth  for 
the  service  and  work  which  God  has  for  them  to  do.  Let 
parental  solicitude  concentrate  itself  upon  this  point 
with  never-ceasing  interest  and  care !  Is  it  not  a 
solemn,  momentous,  and  royal  thing  to  train  sons  and 
daughters  for  the  use  of  the  Great  King  of  heaven  ? 

In  several  points  the  case  of  Samson  resembles  that 
of  Samuel ;  e.  g.,  the  long  barren,  prayerful  mother  ;  her 
abstinence  from  wine  and  strong  drink ;  the  Nazarite 
vow  for  her  son  involving  his  consecration  to  God  all 
the  days  of  his  life  (1  Sam.  1 :  28).  Some  have  thought 
that  Samson  and  Samuel  were  contemporary ;  but  this 
view  seems  to  lack  authority. 


78  SAMSON   AND   MANOAH. 

Passing  the  antecedents  of  Samson's  birth,  we  come 

to    his    life,    exploits,    and  personal   character. It    can 

scarcely  be  necessary  on  these  pages  to  report  or  even 
condense  the  very  full  account  of  his  adventures.* 

The  story  is  told  plainly ;  every  child  reads  and  loves 
to  read  it.  I  propose  only  to  call  my  readers'  attention 
to  a  few  points  which  seem  worthy  of  remark. 

1.  Samson  only  began  to  deliver  Israel  from  the  Phi- 
listines, as  the  angel  promised  (13 :  5)  :  "  He  shall  begin 
to  deliver  Israel,"  etc.  He  never  entirely  broke  their 
yoke,  but  left  much  of  this  work  unfinished.  No  com- 
plete deliverance  was  effected  short  of  the  age  of 
David. 

2.  Remarkably  he  achieved  all  he  did  by  the  power 
of  his  single  arm.  It  was  done  by  courage  and  muscu- 
lar force.  "  With  the  jaw-bone  of  an  ass  heaps  upon 
heaps" — so  a  thousand  men  lie  dead  before  his  un- 
wearied arm ;  or  when  waylaid  in  the  house,  he  is  up 
at  midnight  and  walks  off  with  the  doors  of  the  city 
gates  and  the  two  posts;  and  for  a  final  exploit  he  put 
his  hands  severally  upon  the  two  great  central  pillars 
on  which  Dagon's  temple  rested,  and  while  three  thou- 
sand men  and  women  were  on  the  roof,  exulting  and 
shouting  over  their  blind  prisoner,  he  lifted  his  soul  in 
one  prayer  for  help ;  then  bowed  himself  with  his  re- 
turned strength  and  fell  with  thousands  of  his  enemies, 
slaying  more  at  his  death  than  through  all  his  previ- 
ous life.  Unlike  the  Judges  before  him,  he  planned  no 
stratagem ;  created  no  panic  among  his  foes ;  never  set 
them  upon  mutual  slaughter;  never  rallied  the  war- 
riors of  Israel's  tribes  to  his  standard,  and  apparently 
never  had  their  help  at  all.  Indeed  it  was  with  some 
difficulty  that  he  persuaded  his  brethren  of  Judah  to 
keep  their  own  hands  off  from  himself.  They  seem  to 
have  utterly  succumbed  to  the  Philistines  and  de- 
manded of  him  the  same  submission. 

On  the  point  of  the  divine  purpose  in  this  peculiar 
type  of  manifested  power,  we  may,  perhaps,  in  the 
absence  of   revealed   suggestion,   indulge  ourselves  in 

*The  only  point  of  special  difficulty  in  this  narrative  is  in  the 
translation  "foxes"  (15:  4)  where  the  animal  is  without  doubt  the 
Jackal — a  gregarious  animal  caught  and  harnessed  for  such  a  serv- 
ice without  difficulty.  The  fox  as  we  know  him  is  both  too  cunning 
and  too  alert  for  such  harnessing  and  service. 


SAMSON.  79 

some  conjecture.  The  Lord  manifestly  sought  variety 
in  his  methods  of  revealing  his  power  to  save.  In  the 
case  of  Gideon  he  "  chose  the  weak  things  of  the  world 
to  confound  the  mighty  " — a  few  men,  only  a  very  few, 
to  rout  and  destroy  an  almost  countless  host.  Over 
against  that  case  he  puts  this,  of  one  man's  physical 
might.  This  was  equivalent  to  saying  before  all  Israel 
and  all  Philistia — AVhat  if  the  Lord  should  raise  up  an 

army  of  ten  thousand  Samsons? Yet  further,  may 

we  not  conjecture  that  this  power  given  to  Samson  was 
specially  adapted  to  Philistia,  where  the  giant  race  of 
champion  warriors  was  not  yet  extinct,  and  whose  pride 
in  her  Goliath  comes  to  view  presently  in  David's  his- 
tory? The  case  of  Samson  witnessed  before  those  lords 
of  the  Philistines  that  the  Great  God  of  Israel  could 
raise  up  champions  against  whom  no  Goliath  from 
their  ranks  could  hope  to  stand. 

3.  It  is  a  striking  fact  that  Samson  came  into  contact 
with  the  Philistines  in  the  line  of  social  life,  through 
amatory  relations  to  their  women.  It  is  intimated  that 
while  his  father  and  mother  protested  strongly  against 
his  choice  of  such  women — as  we  might  expect  faithful 
Hebrew  parents  would — yet  "  they  knew  not  that  it  was 
of  the  Lord  that  he  sought  an  occasion  against  the  Phil- 
istines "  (14 :  3,  4).  Probably  we  shall  be  obliged  to 
leave  this  divine  purpose  among  his  inscrutable  ways, 
for  these  connections  seem  to  have  tempted  Samson 
above  what  he  was  able  to  bear,  and  in  the  result 
brought    dishonor,   not    to    say   disaster,    upon    Israel 

through   his   manifold   infirmities. In   Samson   we 

note  a  strange  blending  of  courage  and  physical 
strength  with  a  weakness  toward  women.  Was  it 
partly  for  the  sake  of  the  moral  lessons  enforced  by  such 
an  example  that  these  painful  facts  were  permitted  to 
occur  and  the  record  of  them  to  appear  in  the  sacred 
history?  We  read  it  with  a  painfully  quickened  sense 
of  the  weakness  of  some  of  the  strongest  men. More- 
over, it  does  undoubtedly  throw  light  upon  the  dangers 
continually  incident  to  the  close  social  contact  of  Israel 
with  the  Canaanites  remaining  in  the  land.  Those 
families  of  ancient  Canaan  had  art,  culture,  beauty; 
and  when  these  qualities  were  found  by  the  men  and 
women  of  Israel,  associated  with  an  attractive  sensuous 
idol-worship,  we  can  readily  see  how  subtle  and  perilous 


80  MICAH,   THE   RELIGIOUS  IDOLATER. 

the  temptation  became.  There  is  no  definite  proof  that 
Samson  was  weak  toward  idolatry;  but  being  so  weak 
toward  idol-worshiping  women,  he  might  liave  been 
fearfully  tempted  in  that  direction. 

4.  Yet,  on  the  whole,  I  see  not  how  we  can  denv  to 
Samson  a  place  among  the  heroes  of  fjiith.  The  writer 
to  the  Hebrews  (chap.'ll :  32)  finds  a  niche  for  his  name 
in  that  glorious  temple.     The  record  here  reveals  him 

a  man  of   prayer  and  of  power  with  God. While, 

therefore,  we  are  sad  and  humiliated  for  our  human 
nature  in  the  view  of  such  moral  weakness,  it  may,  per- 
haps, be  a  legitimate  consolation  that  God  can  forgive 
such  human  weakness,  and  put  away  even  such  great 
sin,  and  still  employ  to  his  praise  men  who  are  very 
imperfect,  provided,  always,  that  they  are  sincere  and 
true  hearted. 

Micah,  the  religious  idolater. 

In  the  order  of  the  chaptets  in  "Judges"  we  come 
next  to  a  very  remarkable  story  (chapters  17  and  18)  of 
a  man  named  Micah,  of  Mt.  JEphraim.  It  is  a  story 
rather  of  domestic,  private  life,  than  of  national  affairs, 
but  is  exceeding  interesting  and  valuable  for  the  light 
it  throws  upon  the  inner  religious  history  of  the  people 
(or  at  least  some  of  the  people)  of  Israel  at  this  age,  show- 
ing how  they  mixed  together  religious  and  heathen 
ideas  of  God,  and  sought  to  improve  upon  the  great  law 
of  Jehovah — no  idols  or  images  of  God  of  any  sort — by 
introducing  both  graven  and  molten  images.  This  man 
Micah  had  "  An  house  of  gods,"  a  temple  on  his  own 
private  account,  with  the  accompaniments  of  the 
"ephod" — the  insignia  of  the  priest ;  the  teraphim — 
household  images  of  worship;  and,  moreover,  he  set 
apart  one  of  his  sons  for  his  priest.*  In  process  of  time 
a  wandering  Levite,  out  of  employment,  passing  that 
w\ay,  he  hired  him  into  his  service  as  priest  for  the  very 
humble  compensation  of  ten  shekels  of  silver  and  one 
suit  of  clothes  per  annum,  and  his  board.  This  change 
quite  improved  his  religious  establishment  and  raised 
his  hopes  of  God's  favor  to  an  assured  confidence  :  "  Now 
(said  he)  I  know  that  the  Lord  will  do  me  good,  seeing 
I  have  a  Levite  for  my  priest "  (17  :  13). 

*  It  is  worth  noticing  that  the  Hebrew  phrase  for  "  consecrate  " 
(17 :  5)  is  filled  the  hand,  in  the  sense  of  giving  one  full  occupation 
and  making  this  his  special  business. 


MICAH,    THE    RELIGIOUS   IDOLATER.  81 

This  arrangement,  so  very  satisfactory  to  Micah,  was 
quite  broken  up  by  a  series  of  accidents,  narrated  chap. 
18.  Five  men  of  the  tribe  of  Dan  deputed  to  go  north 
and  search  out  a  new  home  for  a  portion  of  their  tribe, 
turned  into  the  house  of  Micah  on  Mt.  Ephriam  to 
enjoy  his  hospitality,  and  chanced  to  recognize  his 
Levite  priest  as  an  old  acquaintance.  They  drew 
from  him  the  terms  of  his  contract  with  Micah  and 
improved  their  opportunity  to  ask  counsel  of  God 
through  him  as  to  the  success  of  their  mission.  With 
his  very  favorable  answer  they  went  on  their  way, 
inwardly  purposing,  we  must  suppose,  to  call  again. 

Having  found  a  fertile  region  in  the  extreme  north 

of  Palestine,  held  by  a  people  quite  unprepared  to 
defend  themselves,  and  withal  consciously  secure  and 
off  their  guard,  they  reported  to  their  people  their  suc- 
cess. Forthwith  an  armed  force  of  six  hundred  men 
are  on  their  march  to  this  new  home  of  the  Danites. 
They  make  it  in  their  way  to  pass  the  house  of  Micah. 
The  five  spies  suggest  to  them  how  fine  a  lot  of  plun- 
der lay  here  at  their  mercy — all  this  household  of 
gods  and  the  Levite  priest  besides.  The  latter  was 
readily  persuaded  to  break  his  contract  with  Micah 
for  the  sake  of  becoming  the  high  priest  of  this  tribe 
of  Dan;  and  seems  to  have  had  no  particular  scruples 
against  taking  his  images,  ephod,  and  teraphim — the 
implements  necessary  for  his  service — with  no  thought 
of  asking  Micah's  consent  or  offering  compensation. 
It  was  the  old  doctrine  of  "  Might  against  Right,"  and 
suggests  that  the  religion  of  these  men  was  not  embar- 
rassed with  ideas  about  rights  of  property,  claims  of  jus- 
tice, or  bonds  of  social  compact.  Micah  is  stripped  of 
both  his  priest  and  his  gods ;  expostulates  to  no  purpose, 
and  is  compelled  to  succumb  before  superior  brute  force. 
His  expostulation  is  in  pitiful  tone,  revealing  a  bro- 
ken-hearted man  :  "  Ye  have  taken  away  my  gods  which 
I  made,  and  the  priest,  and  ye  are  gone  away ;  and  what 
have  I  more?  And  now  what  mean  ye  to  say  unto  me, 
What  aileth  thee?"     But  no  heart  was  moved  to  pity 

by  this  sad  wail. It  is  plain  that  his  religious  hopes 

have  perished.  He  no  longer  "  knows  that  the  Lord 
will  do  him  good."  "  Alas,"  he  cries,  "  what  have  I 
more  ?  " He  must  have  been  a  very  sincere  idolater. 


82  MICAH,   THE   RELIGIOUS  IDOLATER. 

If  sincerity  insures  salvation,  he  should  have  had 
nothing  to  fear. 

These  are  the  outlines  of  the  story.  There  are  sev- 
eral points  which  should  have  more  particular  atten- 
tion. 

The  mother  of  Micah  had  by  some  means  accumu- 
lated quite  an  amount  of  silver — eleven  hundred 
shekels.*  Suddenly  it  is  missing.  She  seems  to  have 
lacked  the  grace  necessary  to  accept  this  dispensation 
submissively,  the  remark  of  her  son  being  this — "About 
which  thou  cwsedst.'f  Whether  this  cursing  awakened 
the  son's  superstitious  fear  or  aroused  what  little  con- 
science he  may  have  had,  the  result  was  that  he  said  to 
her:  "Behold,  the  silver  is  with  me;  I  took  it."  The 
overjoyed  mother  gives  him  her  devout  benediction  ; 
"Blessed  be  thou  of  the  Lord,  my  son."  Very  religious 
is  she  now — in  her  words !  May  we  suppose  that  her 
case  w^as  in  the  mind  of  the  Apostle  James  when  he 
said  (3  :  10) :  "  Out  of  the  same  mouth  proceedeth  bless- 
ing and  cursing.     My  brethren,  these  things  ought  not 

so  to  be." Perhaps  it  was  a  relief  to  them  both  to 

give  two  hundred  of  these  silver  shekels  toward  a  set 
of  silver  gods.  It  may  have  helped  the  son  to  atone  for 
his  theft,  and  the  mother  for  her  cursing.  It  is  quite 
in  harmony  with  human  nature,  under  the  darkness  of 
sin,  to  comfort  itself  in  this  sort  of  atonement  for  con- 
scious misdeeds.  It  w^as  presently  arranged  between 
them  to  make  this  disposition  of  so  much  of  this  silver; 
and  the  famil}^  became  thereupon  very  religious! 

Now,  we  very  naturally  ask  whether  this  was  a  sample 
or  an  exceptional  family  in  Israel.  May  we  take  it  to 
represent  the  morality  and  the  religion  of  the  masses, 

or  was  this  case  rather  special  and  unique  ? If  it 

represented  Israel  somewhat  justly,  their  case  readily 
accounts  for  those  frequent  and  fearful  relapses  into 
idolatry  which  give  character  to  this  whole  book  of 

*  On  the  authority  of  Webster,  the  shekel  is  equal  to  a  half  ounce 
avoirdupois,  022C.  The  weight  would  thus  be  38|  pounds,  and  the 
value  $087.50. 

t  It  is  supposable  that  this  "cursing"  should  be  taken  in  the  sense 
of  adjuring,  and  not  of  passionate  imprecation.  The  former  would 
be  according  to  the  law  of  Moses — a  rule,  however,  for  the  magis- 
trate— perhaps  not  for  the  private  citizen.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  the 
Bpirit  of  the  mother  favors  the  sense  assumed  in  my  exposition. 


MICAH,   THE    EELIGIOUS   IDOLATER.  83 

Judges.  Yet  we  may  certainly  hope  that  this  was 
rather  the  darker  side  of  the  national  character.  We 
may  note  that  both  this  case  of  Micah,  and  that  of  the 
nameless  Levite  who  went  for  his  concubine  to  Beth- 
lehem-judah  (recorded  chap.  19),  originated  on  Mt. 
Ephraim.  Now,  although  Joshua  was  of  that  tribe,  and 
although  his  bones  lay  on  that  very  Mt.  Ephraim  (Josh. 
24 :  30),  yet  the  men  of  Ephraim  have  not  by  any  means 
a  worthy  record  in  this  book  of  Judges.  The  reader  will 
remember  how  they  appear  in  the  history  of  both  Gideon 
and  Jephthah — very  proud,  very  jealous,  and  far  less 
ready  to  be  foremost  in  toil  and  peril  for  their  country 
than  to  be  first  in  the  glory  of  victories  achieved  by 
others'  valor.  In  estimating  their  tribal  character  it 
may  be  considered  that  they  were  populous,  numeri- 
cally strong,  and  very  proud  of  it ;  were  centrally  located 
in  Western  Palestine,  with  the  first  religious  capital 
(Shiloh)  in  the  bosom  of  their  tribe  (since  Josh.  18 :  1) ; 
but  they  never  distinguished  themselves  for  either 
patriotism  or  piety.  No  Judge  arose  from  that  tribe  to 
redeem  Israel  in  her  seasons  of  political  servitude,  unless 
Abdon  may  possibly  be  an  exception.     He  was  buried 

in  the  land  of  Ephraim  (12  :  15). In  the  hill  country 

of  Judah  were  fairer  religious  homes,  and  nobler  men, 
if  we  may  judge  by  the  records  of  Boaz,  Jesse,  and 
David.  On  the  whole,  we  may  hope  that  the  average 
religious  life  of  Israel  was  above  the  examples  furnished 
from  Mt.  Ephraim  in  these  closing  chapters  of  the 
Judges. 

Let  us  not  fail  to  notice  very  definitely  that  this  pic- 
ture of  domestic  life  on  INlt.  Ephraim  witnesses  to  a 
radical  apostasy  from  the  fundamental  principles  of  the 
divine  law  in  these  several  respects  : 

(1.)  First  and  most  vital  of  all — in  the  making  of 
images  with  which  to  worship  God.  It  is,  perhaps,  not 
quite  certain  that  Micah  purposely  ignored  the  true 
God,  and  intentionally  offered  his  worship  to  these 
images  as  being  themselves  gods;  for  he  may  have 
thought  to  worship  the  God  of  Israel  uith  the  help  of 
these  images.  But  we  must  note  that  he  cried  out : 
"  Ye  have  taken  away  my  gods,  and  what  have  I  more  f^' 
— as  if  there  was  no  God  left  to  him  after  these 
silver  images  were  taken  away.  This  case  shows,  at 
least,  that  the  distinction  between  worshiping  God  by 


84  MICAH,    THE    RELIGIOUS    IDOLATER. 

means  of  images,  and  worshiping  images  as  them- 
selves gods,  was  but  dimly  defined  in  his  mind,  if  at 
all — a  distinction  of  only  the  smallest  practical  ac- 
count. The  divine  law  attempted  no  distinction  be- 
tween these  supposably  different  forms  of  idolatry ;  and 
this  case  sufficiently  indorses  the  wisdom  of  God's  law 
in  this  particular. 

(2.)  The  divine  law  explicitly  forbade  the  ofTering  of 
sacrificial  worship,  with  the  ceremonials  of  their  reli- 
gion, elsewhere  than  at  the  one  place  which  God  might 
choose.  In  the  case  before  us,  this  precept  was  utterly 
disregarded. 

(3.)  The  law  also  debarred  from  the  priesthood  all 
men  save  the  descendants  of  Aaron.  But  this  Micah 
first  put  into  his  family  priesthood  one  of  his  own  sons, 
and  then  a  Levite,  not  of  the  family  of  Aaron.  Thus 
recklessly,  if  not  even  defiantly,  was  the  divine  law  in 
these  very  vital  points  overruled  and  set  aside. 

This  picture  of  the  inner  life  of  Israel  is  darkly 
shaded  by  the  facts  recorded  respecting  the  men  of  Dan. 
An  armed  banditti,  six  hundred  strong,  marching 
through  the  land  of  Israel,  amenable  to  no  authority ; 
subject  to  no  law  save  that  of  might ;  stealing  whatever 
they  chose  to  steal;  threatening  the  owner's  life  to 
silence  his  complaint: — veril}^,  such  a  case  gives  signif- 
icance to  the  historian's  frequent  remark:  "In  those 
days  there  was  no  king  in  Israel." 

One  further  remark  is  suggested  by  this  fragment 
of  history: — It  is  scarcely  supposable  that  the  three 
great  national  festivals  and  the  Great  Day  of  Atonement 
were  fully  observed  by  the  nation  and  practically  ac- 
counted by  the  masses  as  their  own  religious  system — 
the  media  of  their  own  personal  approach  to  God  and 
communion  with  him.  At  best  the  Mosaic  system  could 
have  had  only  a  feeble  influence  and  a  very  limited 
observance.  With  the  developments  of  the  book  of 
Judges  fully  in  our  mind  we  can  understand  why  David, 
of  spirit  so  devout  and  with  views  of  the  national  char- 
acter and  national  want  so  broad  and  discriminating, 
should,  on  coming  to  the  throne,  feel  the  necessity  of 
making  a  religious  capital  powerful  and  imposing  as 
a  home  for  the  ark  of  the  covenant,  and  of  investing 
the  entire  Mosaic  worship  with  the  richest  attractions 
of  ceremonial  and  song.     There  was,  doubtless,  a  most 


THE    NAMELESS   LEVITE  I    GIBEAH  OF  BENJAMIN.       85 

imperative  need  for  that  re-enforcement  to  the  power  of 
the  religious  institutions  of  Moses. 

The  name  of  this  Levite  who  became  priest  to  the 
tribe  of  Dan  is  given  (18:  30)-"  Jonathan  the  son  of 
Gershom,  the  son  of  Manasseh."  Some  have  supposed 
that  he  was  a  grandson  of  Moses — their  ground  for  this 
supposition  being  that  the  eldest  son  of  Moses  bore  the 
name  of  Gershom  (Ex.  2 :  22,  and  18  :  3) ;  and  that  in 
our  Hebrew  text,  this  word  "  Manasseh  "  is  written  with 
the  letter  (n)  suspended  above  the  line,  indicating  a 
doubt  of  its  authority.  Without  this  (n),  the  conso- 
nants of  the  word  will  be  those  of  the  name  Moses. 

Evidence  of  this  sort  seems  to  me  quite  unreliable. 
Gershom  was  a  familv  name  in  the  tribe  of  Levi.  (See 
1  Chron.  6:  1,  16,  and\also  Ezra  8 ;  2.) 

This  suspended  (n)  in  "Manasseh"  very  naturally 
classes  itself  with  Rabbinic  conceits.  This  theory  of  a 
grandson  of  Moses  may  possibly  be  true,  but  not  prob- 
ably. We  may  be  allowed  to  hope  that  no  grandson  of 
Moses  had  ftillen  so  low  as  this. 

The  incidents  recorded  Judges  19-21,  disclose  a  gloomy- 
state  of  morals  in  Giheah  of  Benjamin.  The  case  impli- 
cated the  whole  tribe  inasmuch  as  they  defended  the 
guilty  perpetrators  of  this  horrible  crime  with  their 
entire  military  force  and  to  the  bitter  end. 

A  Levite  sojourning  on  Mt.  Ephraim  had  taken  a 
concubine  from  Bethlehem  in  Judah.  She  had  proved 
false  to  him  and  had  returned  to  her  father.  He  visited 
her  there  to  bring  her  home ;  was  welcomed  warmly  and 
detained  long  in  the  customary  convivialities.  On  his 
journey  home  night  found  them  at  Gibeah  of  Benjamin, 
hospitably  entertained  by  a  temporary  resident  who 
came  from  his  own  Mt.  Ephraim.  Some  of  the  men  of 
Gibeah,  "  sons  of  Belial,"  cognizant  of  the  presence  of 
traveling  strangers  in  the  old  man's  house,  gathered 
about  it  to  renew  the  shameful,  horrible  crime  of  the 
men  of  Sodom.  The  expostulations  of  the  host  were  of 
no  avail.  The  traveler's  concubine  was  abused  by  them 
till  the  morning,  and  then  found  dead  with  her  hands 
upon  the  threshold.  Her  lord  bore  the  dead  body  sadly 
to  his  home ;  and  then,  to  place  this  terrible  outrage  in 
its  true  light  before  the  tribes  of  Israel,  he  cut  her  body 
and  bones'into  twelve  parts,  and  sent  them  forth  among 
all  the  tribes.    The  public  indignation  was  irrepressible. 


86  DATE   OF  THE  EVENTS  IN  JUDGES  17-21. 

The  people  came  together  en  masse;  heard  the  Levite's 
story  of  this  outrage;  sought  counsel  of  the  Lord;  first 
demanded  in  vain  the  surrender  of  the  guilty  ;  and  then, 
they  by  divine  counsel  attacked  Gibeah  with  arms. 
It  is  not  altogether  clear  why  the  issues  of  battle  on  the 
first  two  days  were  adverse  to  the  warriors  of  Israel,  re- 
sulting, according  to  the  figures  here,  in  the  slaughter 
of  40,000  men.  But  on  the  third  day  the  men  of  Ben- 
jamin were  cut  to  pieces.  25,000  men  fell,  and  only  600 
escaped.  The  cities  of  Benjamin  were  also  fearfully 
devastated,  and  the  population  of  the  tribe  cut  down  to 
these  600  surviving  men. 

The  narrative  records  the  grief  of  the  whole  nation 
over  this  fearful  scene  of  destruction — sad  that  one  tribe 
in  Israel  should  be  brought  so  near  to  utter  extinction. 
A  national  feeling  that  the  integrity  of  the  twelve  tribes 
must  be  maintained,  coupled  with  compassion  for  these 
surviving  600,  led  to  conciliation  and  to  special  arrange- 
ments to  provide  them  wives  ;^  and  thus  this  sad 
scene  of  horrors — shameless  lust,  persistence  in  defend- 
ing the  guilty,  bloody  war,  and  almost  the  extinction 
of  one  tribe  from  Israel,  came  to  its  close.  On  the  one 
side  of  this  picture  we  have  a  fearfully  low  and  debased 
condition  of  social  life ;  but  on  the  other,  the  uprising 
of  virtuous  indignation,  resulting  in  fearful  retribution 
upon  the  guilty  city  and  tribe,  and  a  moral  lesson,  not 
soon  or  easily  forgotten. 

There  remain  two  subordinate  questions  pertaining  to 
these  two  cases — that  of  Micah  and  that  of  the  Levite 
and  his  concubine — viz.,  the  date  of  the  events,  and  the 
date  of  this  record  made  of  them.  The  casual  reader  is 
liable  to  the  mistake  of  assuming  that  their  place  in 
the  book  of  Judges  indicates  their  relative  date  as  being 
subsequent  to  all  its  other  events.  In  fact  the  place 
assigned  them  in  this  book  gives  no  clew  whatever  to 
their  date.  They  are  a  sort  of  appendix  to  the  book, 
disconnected  from  the  thread  of  its  national  history.  All 
the  other  historic  incidents  were  national  in  their  char- 
acter— successive   chapters   of    national    history.     But 

-•=^  The  historj^  of  Saul  (1  Sam.  11,  and  81 :  11-13)  will  bring  to  light 
a  specially  kind  feeling  between  Gibeah  of  Benjamin  and  Jabesh- 
Gilead — a  feeling  naturally  strengthened  by  the  circumstance  that 
400  of  the  600  mothers  of  the  resuscitated  tribe  were  of  the  spared 
daughters  of  Jabesh-Gilead. 


DATE   OF   THE    EVENTS   IN  JUDGES   17-21.  87 

these  five  concluding  chapters  are  not  primarily  na- 
tional, but  rather  are  fragments  of  family  history. 

It  is  generally  held  that  their  chronological  place  is 
quite  early  in  the  book  of  Judges,  perhaps  even  before 
the  Judgeship  of  Othniel  (3  :  9-11;.  It  is  every  Avay 
probable  that  this  migration  of  a  part  of  the  tribe  of 
Dan  to  the  extreme  north  of  Palestine  occurred  soon 
after  the  allotment  of  the  tribes,  their  original  territory 
being  found  too  limited.  One  of  the  encampments  of 
the  600  near  Kirjath-jearim  (18:  12)  gave  the  place  the 
name,  Mahaneh-Dan  (the  camp  of  Dan) — a  name  which 
appears  subsequently  in  the  history  of  Samson  (13  :  25). 
Samson  was,  therefore,  certainly  later  than  this  march 
and  encampment  of  the  600. 

Again,  in  the  second  of  these  narratives  (20 :  28)  we 
are  told  that  Phineas,  the  son  of  Eleazer,  the  son  of 
Aaron,  stood  before  the  ark  as  high  priest  in  those  days. 
But  this  Phineas  was  in  the  vigor  of  his  manhood 
(apparently)  in  the  scenes  recorded  Num.  25,  i.  c,  before 
the  death  of  Moses.  His  father's  death  is  noticed  in 
close  connection  with  the  death  of  Joshua  (Josh.  24 :  33), 
showing  that  he  came  into  the  high  priesthood  at  least 
as  early  as  Joshua's  death.  The  transactions  of  these 
last  three  chapters  of  Judges  must,  therefore,  be  located 
in  time  very  early  among  the  events  of  this  book. 

As  bearing  upon  the  date  of  the  reco7'd,  the  remark 
four  times  made  in  these  five  chapters,  "  In  those  days 
there  was  no  king  in  Israel "  (17  :  6,  and  18  :  1,  and  19  :  1, 
and  22 :  25),  implies  that  the  historian  contrasts  those 
days  of  no  king  with  his  own  in  which  there  was  a 

king. The  statements  made  (18  :  30,  31)  to  the  effect 

that  Jonathan  and  his  descendants  held  the  priesthood 
for  the  tribe  of  Dan  "  till  the  day  of  the  captivity  of  the 
land,"  and  that  Micah's  graven  image  stood  among  them 
all  the  time  that  the  house  of  God  was  in  Shiloh,  imply 
that  the  writer's  knowledge  comes  down  to  the  dates 
of  those  respective  events — the  transfer  of  the  taber- 
nacle from  Shiloh  to  Jerusalem  in  the  reign  of  David, 
and  "  the  captivity  of  the  land."  What  "captivity"  is 
here  referred  to  may  be  somewhat  uncertain,  though 

probably  it  is  that  of  the  ten  tribes  (B.  C.  722). 

Moreover  it  is  quite  possible  that  these  two  verses  are 
an  appendix  to  this  story  by  some  later  hand — a  sort 
of  foot  note  by  some  compiler,  long  after  the  body  of  the 


88   THE   PERIOD   OF   THE   JUDGES  ;   GREAT    DECLENSION. 

story  was   written. Finally,  it  may  be   considered 

probable  that  the  book  of  Judges  was  written  by  Samuel, 
excepting  these  two  verses  (18:  30,  31)  which  may  have 
been  added  by  some  subsequent  compiler. 

The  facts  stated  in  these  two  verses  are  of  more  im- 
portance to  us  than  the  date  of  their  writing.  The 
facts  are  sadly  significant  of  the  feeble  influence  of  the 
Mosaic  system  out  on  the  northern  confines  of  the  land 
— that  this  special  priesthood  for  the  tribe  of  Dan,  en- 
tirely distinct  from  that  of  Aaron,  should  have  been 
sustained  there  through  so  many  ages,  and  that  this 
idol-image  should  have  maintained  its  place  down  at 

least  to  the  reign  of  David. Let  us  note,  however, 

that  this  fact,  though  sad,  is  abundantly  corroborated 
by  subsequent  historic  allusions.  Isaiah  (9  :  1,  2)  speaks 
of  the  outlying  regions  of  Zebulun  and  Naphtali  as 
having  long  lain  in  dishonor,  oppression,  and  spiritual 
darkness,  until  Jesus  came  among  them,  revealing  a 
truly  blessed  light.  (See  my  notes  on  the  pas^ge). 
The  received  English  version  translates  it  very  imper- 
fectly.  The  current  feeling  in  the   time   of  Christ 

runs  in  the  same  strain:  "Can  any  good  thing  come 
out  of  Galilee?  "  "  Out  of  Galilee  ariseth  no  prophet." 
The  Galilee  of  the  gospel  age  included  the  territor}^  of 
this  northern  Dan,  and  also  of  Zebulun  and  Naphtali. 
The  Jews  of  Jerusalem  had  for  ages  looked  upon  that 
as  a  heathen  countr)^,  early  and  long  apostate  from  the 
religion  of  their  fathers. 

Reviewing  briefly  the  great  religious  declension  of 
Israel  during  the  period  covered  by  the  book  of  Judges, 
we  may  profitably  turn  our  thought, 

I.  To  the  evidences  of  such  declension  : 

II.  To  the  causes  which  contributed  to  produce  it : 

III.  To  the  agencies  introduced  by  the  Lord  in  his 
providence  to  counteract  it. 

I.  The  fact  of  great  declension  is  entirely  obvious 
throughout  this  book.  We  have  seen  proofs  of  it  in  the 
sketches  of  family  history  in  chaps.  17-21.  We  saw 
them  through  all  the  previous  chapters  in  the  perpetu- 
ally recurring  relapses  into  idolatry  after  the  death  of 
each  prominent  Judge,  and  after  the  deliverance  wrought 
under  his  hand.  The  fact  is  fully  implied  in  the  state- 
ment (Josh.  24  :  31)  that  "  Israel  served  the  Lord  all  the 
days  of  Joshua,  and  all  the  days  of  the  elders  that  out- 


THE    PERIOD   OF   THE   JUDGES;   GREAT   DECLENSION.    89 

lived  Joshua,  and  who  had  known  all  the  works  of  the 
Lord  that  he  had  done  for  Israel  " — but  (so  it  is  implied) 
no  longer  with  like  steadfastness.   Then  followed  a  series 

of  sore  declensions. This  great  relapse  was  foretold 

by  Moses  in  his  song  (Deut.  32).  And  finally,  it  was 
manifestly  anticipated,  and  with  earnest  endeavor  re- 
sisted and  forefended  by  Joshua  in  his  last  words  to  the 
assembled  people.  He  seems  even  then  to  have  seen 
the  causes  working,  and  the  indications  of  weakening 
moral  stamina  to  withstand  pernicious  influences  al- 
ready apparent. 

II.  Among  its  causes  we  may  name, 

1.  The  example  and  social  influence  of  the  cultured, 
wealthy,  and  powerful  Canaanites  left  in  the  land,  or 
residing  close  upon  its  confines.  Something  may,  per- 
haps, be  due  to  the  inexperience  of  the  people  in  regard 
to  the  prodigious  evils  of  idolatry.  We  marvel  that 
they  should  not  have  accepted  God's  law  as  the  ex- 
pression of  his  wisdom  and  love,  without  the  aid  of 
bitter  experience.     But  such  is  frail,  sinning  man. 

2.  "  Fullness  of  bread  ; "  the  growth  and  development 
of  self-indulgence — perhaps  we  may  say,  comparative 
luxury.  The  change  from  being  poorly  fed  throughout 
their  servitude  in  Egypt ;  from  manna  and  water  forty 
years  in  the  wilderness,  with  only  an  occasional  taste 
of  animal  flesh,  to  this  copious  supply  amid  the  wealth 
of  Canaan,  would  press  upon  their  frail  human  nature 
in  one  of  its  weakest  points.  We  place  this  among  the 
causes  of  their  declension  with  the  more  confidence  be- 
cause it  was  foreseen  and  declared  by  Moses  in  his 
prophetic  song  (Deut.  32  :  13-18) ;  in  the  words,  "  Jeshu- 
run  waxed  fat  and  kicked ;  thou  art  waxed  fat ;  thou 
art  grown  thick  ;  thou  art  covered  with  fatness.  Then  he 
forsook  God  ivho  Tnade  hi7n,  and  lightly  esteemed  the  Rock 
of  his  salvation,"  etc. 

3.  Ephraim,  the  central  tribe  territorially,  the  head 
tribe  numerically,  and  the  location  of  the  religious 
capital  during  the  entire  period  of  the  Judges,  indeed 
down  to  David,  had,  as  we  have  seen,  a  bad  record,  and, 
therefore,  constituted  an  uncongenial  locality  for  the 
great  religious  center.  It  is  inevitable  that  such  influ- 
ences should  contribute  largely  toward  national  declen- 
sion and  make  a  change  of  place  for  the  religious  capital 
a  real  necessity. 

•  5 


90  THE   GREAT   DECLENSION. 

4.  It  is  quite  apparent  that  both  politically  and  re- 
ligiously the  mutual  relation  of  the  tribes  to  each  other 
was  far  too  loose  for  the  best  results.  While  the  tribal 
feeling  was  strong — we  may  even  say,  clannish — the 
national  feeling  was  feeble,  and  greatly  needed  more 
concentration.  All  through  the  period  of  the  Judges, 
it  was  only  under  some  powerful  impulses  that  the 
whole  national  force  could  be  brought  to  bear  against 
any  foreign  enemy.  The  histories  of  Deborah  and 
Barak,  of  Gideon,  and  of  Jephthah,  are  full  of  facts 
bearing  to  this  point.  It  is  scarcely  supposable  that 
during  the  long  period  of  the  Judges,  the  tribes  went 
up  en  masse  three  times  a  year  to  any  great  religious 
center  to  strengthen  at  once  their  national  piety  and 
their  national  patriotism  at  the  shrine  of  the  same 
national  God. 

III.  Of  the  agencies  brought  forward  in  God's  provi- 
dence to  counteract  this  declension  and  fortify  the 
nation  against  it,  we  may  note, 

1.  The  stern  discipline  of  suffering.  This  book  is 
mainly  a  record  of  the  successive  visitations  by  which 
"  the  Lord  sold  them  into  the  hand  of  cruel  enemies," 
who  mightily  oppressed  them  and  put  them  to  great 
hardship  and  suffering.  Then,  when  they  were  brought 
to  repentance  and  to  earnest  cries  to  God  for  help,  he 
raised  up  for  them  some  deliverer.  The  next  relapse 
made  necessary  the  same  process  of  discipline,  repent- 
ance, prayer,  and  help,  designed  to  impress  the  same 

great  moral  lessons. At  the  extreme  point  of  their 

calamity,  the  ark  of  God  was  taken  away  into  captivity 
[Heb.]  seven  months  among  the  Philistines  (1  Sam.  6 : 
1)  and  twenty  years  in  Kirjath-jearim  (1  Sam.  7 :  2). 
The  two  sons  of  the  aged  and  pious  but  weak  High 
Priest,  Eli,  were  slain  in  one  day,  and  with  the  loss  of 
the  ark  "  the  glory  was  indeed  departed  from  Israel." 
To  rally  the  nation  from  this  extreme  point  of  de- 
pression, the  Lord  brought  out  Samuel,  and  through 
him  developed  into  fullness  and  strength  the  prophetic 
order — an  event  which  will  demand  more  jmrticular 
attention  in  the  sequel. 

Finally,  the  Lord  suffered  the  form  of  government  to 
be  so  far  modified  as  to  become  monarchial.  He  granted 
the  request  of  the  people  for  a  king,  securing  thus  a 
much  greater  degree  of  consolidation  and  making  pro- 


CHRONOLOGY  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  JUDGES.  91 

vision  for  a  more  vigorous  nationality,  both  political  and 
religions.  At  length  the  Lord  raised  up  David,  a  king 
"  after  his  own  heart,"  and  through  him  withstood  more 
successfully  the  temptations  to  idolatry  under  which 
Israel  suffered  so  fearfully  during  the  period  of  the 
Judges.  These  agencies  for  the  better  development  of 
the  nation,  religiously,  as  well  as  politically,  will  be  the 
special  theme  throughout  the  two  books  of  Samuel. 

Chronology  oj  the  Booh  of  Judges. 

The  vexed  questions  of  sacred  chronology  have  been 
somewhat  fully  discussed  in  my  volume  on  the  Penta- 
teuch— the  chronology  of  the  period  of  the  Judges  on 
page  60.  This  question  is  resumed  here  chiefly  to 
refer  to  the  extreme  diversity  of  views  held  by  critics, 
of  which  a  conspicuous  example  appears  in  the  Speak- 
er's Commentary,  pp.  118-121.  Here  the  entire  period 
of  the  Judges  bet^veen  the  death  of  Joshua  and  the 
judgeship  of  Samuel  is  brought  within  140  to  160 
years.  This  is  done  by  ruling  out  the  authority  of  the 
historian  in  1  Kings  6:  1,  which  makes  this  period  339 
vears;  and  of  Paul  (Acts  13:  20),  who  declares  it  to 
be  about  450  years  ;  of  Jephthah  (Judges  12  :  26),  which 
assigns  300  years  between  the  death  of  Moses  and  that 
day ;  and,  substantially,  of  the  oft-repeated  statements 
"wathin  this  book  of  the  periods  of  "  rest "  from  oppres- 
sion, viz.,  of  40  years  thrice  said  (Judg.  3  :  11,  and  5  : 
31,  and  8 :  28),  and  of  80  years  (3 :  30),  which  alone 
amount  to  200.  These  figures  having  been  set  aside, 
the  author  accepts  as  the  only  reliable  authority,  the 
various  genealogies  which  appear  in  the  Scriptures 
stretching  over  this  period,  e.  g.,  of  David,  of  Zadok,  of 
Abiathar,  etc.  In  making  these  only  his  data,  the  au- 
thor seems  to  overlook  two  important  facts,  viz.,  (1.) 
That  the  period  of  one  generation.  ^.  <?.,  the  age  of  the 
fiither  at  the  birth  of  his  son  in  the  given  line,  is  by 
no  means  a  fixed  quantity;  and  (2.)  That  in  the 
Hebrew  genealogical  lists  it  is  undeniable  that  some 
names  are  occasionally  omitted,  as  in  the  tables  of 
Matt.  1 :  2,  and  of  Luke  3,  and  as  I  think  must  be  ad- 
mitted, between  Levi  and  Moses.  (See  my  Pentateuch, 
pp.  63,  64.)  It  is,  therefore,  by  no  means  obvious  that 
we  reach  the  best  results  by  rejecting  those  general 


92       CHRONOLOGY  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  JUDGES. 

comprehensive  statements  which  appear  in  the  histor- 
ian of  1  Kings,  in  Paul,  in  Jephthah,  and  in  the  Book 
of  Judges  generally,  and  h}^  relying  exclusively  upon 
the  authority  of  genealogical  lists  which  make  no 
allusion  whatever  to  chronology. 

Doubtless  we  must  all  accept  the  conclusion  that 
no  absolutely  certain  data  exist  for  a  complete  chro- 
nology of  the  Book  of  Judges. 

The  Story  of  Ruth. 

This  story,  in  four  chapters,  is  legitimately  a  sequel  to 
the  book  of  Judges,  since  it  belongs  to  the  same  period — 
"  in  the  days  when  the  Judges  ruled"  (Ruth  1 :  1),  and, 
like  the  story  of  Micah  and  that  of  the  nameless  Levite 
on  Mt.  Ephraim,  gives  us,  not  so  much  national  as  pri- 
vate life.  Unlike  the  two  last  named,  it  opens  to  view 
neither  idol-worship,  nor  horrible  vices,  nor  desolating 
wars;  but  presents  the  quiet  scenes  of  home,  savored 
wuth  sincere  and  humble  piety.  Such  Hebrew  life  it  is 
grateful  to  the  heart  to  contemplate.  Let  us  lend  to  it 
a  few  moments'  quiet  consideration. 

A  family  of  Bethlehem,  consisting  of  the  father 
Elimelech,  his  wife  Naomi,  and  two  sons,  Mahlon 
and  Chilion,  were  driven  by  stress  of  famine  to  seek 
bread  in  the  country  of  Moab.  For  some  reason  not 
given,  their  stay  there  was  protracted  through  ten 
years.  During  this  time  the  two  sons  married  each  a 
daughter  of  Moab — Orpah  and  Ruth.  But  these  ten 
years  brought  to  this  family,  not  marriages  only,  but 
funerals.  The  father  died,  and  his  two  sons  were  laid 
in  early  graves.  Three  human  hearts  were  widowed 
and  desolate.  Sore  was  the  burden  of  grief  and  respon- 
sibility upon  the  heart  of  Naomi.  The  narrative  appre- 
ciates this :  "  The  woman  was  left  of  her  two  sons  and 
of  her  husband  "  (1 :  5).  No  wonder  her  thoughts  turn 
toward  the  land  of  her  fathers'  sepulchers  and  the  people 

who  worshiped  the  God  of  her  trust. But  what  shall 

she  say  to  her  widowed  daughters-in-law  ?  They  have 
been  kind  to  her  and  to  her  dead ;  but  what  more  can 
she  do  for  them?  They  are  childless  ;  and  for  this  sore 
trial  she  has  no  relief  to  offer.  She  therefore  proposes 
to  them  to  return  each  to  her  own  father's  house,  and 
start  again  in  Moab  life  as  the  ways  of  Providence  may 


THE  STORY  OF  RUTH.  93 

open  it  before  them. In  their  first  reply  they  are  at 

one  in  protesting  that  they  can  not  leave  their  mother- 
in-law,  but  must  go  with  her  to  her  Bethlehem  home. 
When  she  responded,  putting  the  case  yet  more  strongly, 
Orpah  gave  her  mother  the  parting  kiss,  but  Ruth  clave 
unto  her.  Naomi  probed  the  depth  of  her  love  yet  once 
more  :  "  Behold,  thy  sister-in-law  is  gone  back  unto  her 
people  and  unto  her  gods:  return  thou  after  thy  sister-in- 
law  "  (1 :  15).  These  last  words  serve  to  bring  out  the 
noble  and  truly  religious  heart  of  Ruth  :  "  Entreat  me 
not  to  leave  thee."  Her  words  are  very  strong :  Do 
not  assail — do  not  strike  me  [Hebrew]  with  such  painful 
words.  "  Do  not  ask  me  to  return  from  following  after 
thee,  for  where  thou  goest,  I  will  go;  and  where  thou 
lodgest,  I  will  lodge  :  thy  people  shall  be  my  people,  and 
thy  God  my  God.  Where  thou  diest  will  I  die,  and  there 
will  I  be  buried.  The  Lord  do  so  to  me  and  more  also 
if  aught  but  death  part  thee  and  me."  She  meant  this 
for  a  final,  decisive  answer.  It  was.  No  words  could 
have  made  it  stronger.  The  solemn  oath,  "God  do  so  to 
me  and  more  also,"  left  nothing  stronger  to  be  said. 
Her  heart  is  with  her  mother;  and  what  is  yet  more, 
is  with  her  mother's  people  and  with  her  nTOther's  God. 
Her  sister  may  go  back  to  her  people,  and  if  she  chooses 
to  her  people's  gods ;  but  for  herself  she  can  do  no  such 
thing.  Her  heart  is  with  the  God  of  Israel,  and  she 
hails  the  day  that  shall  transfer  her  home  and  her 
church  relations  (so  to  speak)  to  the  country  and  the 
people  who  had  given  her  that  godly  mother.  The  re- 
ligion and  the  God  of  Israel  had  met  the  great  wants  of 
her  soul — daughter  of  Moab  though  she  was — and  she 
rejoices  to  make  them  in  every  sense  her  own.  Godly 
souls,  Jewish  and  Christian,  through  all  the  ages,  have 
welcomed  this  Moabite  daughter  to  the  fellowship  of  the 
saints  and  to  the  household  of  God,  grateful  to  accept 
her  case  as  a  precious  harbinger  of  the  day  when  "  they 
shall  come  from  the  East  and  from  the  West,  from  the 
North  and  from  the  South,  and  sit  down  in  the  kingdom 
of  God." 

In  the  sequel,  we  have  a  lovely  picture  of  home- 
scenes  and  of  common  life  in  Bethlehem  among  the 
laboring  classes.  It  was  the  beginning  of  barley-har- 
vest when  the  welcome  news  ran  to  and  fro  among  the 
friends  of  her  youth — Naomi,  the  widow  of  our  Elim- 


94  THE   STORY   OF   RUTH. 

elech,  is  again  among  us  from  the  land  of  Moab,  and 
with  her  one  of  the  daughters  of  Moab,  cleaving  to  her 
in  her  widowhood  with  true  and  daughterly  fidelity. 
Forthwith  tliis  young  woman  is  out  with  the  maidens 
of  Bethlehem,  gleaning  after  the  reapers,  the  ordering  of 
a  forethoughtful  providence  assigning  to  her  a  place  in 
the  field  of  a  certain  man  Boaz,  here  introduced  to  us 
in  the  story  as  a  young  man  of  their  kindred.  Though 
not  the  nearest  blood-relative  to  the  deceased  Elimelech, 
yet  he  seems  to  have  been  the  second  —  only  one  stand- 
ing in  nearer  relationship.  Elimelech  left  some  real 
estate  which,  by  Hebrew  law,  it  was  the  right  of  Naomi 
and  her  daughter  to  redeem  by  the  aid  of  any  relative 
or  friend.  With  this  redeemed  estate  was  associated, 
by  usage,  the  hand  of  Ruth  in  sacred  marriage,  that  no 
family  might  become  extinct  in  Israel.  We  need  not 
be  surprised  that,  in  the  simplicity  of  those  early  ages 
of  the  race,  the  hearts  of  mothers  and  daughters,  of 
fathers  and  of  sons,  all  alike  beat  strongly  with  the 
love  of  offspring,  nor  that  they  honored  the  family 
relation  and  the  sacred  institution  of  marriage,  and  felt 
an  interest,  of  which  none  were  ashamed,  in  perpetuat- 
ing the  fanlily  line,  that  no  household  might  fail  of 
posterity.  The  strength  of  this  feeling,  the  joy  felt  in 
happy  and  virtuous  marriages  of  the  young,  and  espe- 
cially the  gratification  when  a  widowed,  desolate  house- 
hold, on  the  verge  of  extinction,  became  re-established 
in  the  divine  order,  stand  forth  with  great,  and  let  us 
say,  very  interesting  prominence  throughout  the  sequel 
of  this  story. Yet  we  can  not  pass  this  case  with- 
out suggesting  that  the  method,  proposed  by  Naomi  and 
carried  out  by  Ruth,  of  introducing  herself  to  Boaz, 
and,  in  a  sort,  claiming  her  rights  under  the  Mosaic  law, 
is  not  to  be  recommended  for  any  other  age  or  people. 

We  shall  note,  perhaps  with  some  surprise,  that 

an  excellent  and  virtuous  mother  made  this  proposal, 
and  that  Boaz  seems  to  have  nothing  less  than  the 
fullest  confidence  in  the  virtuous  purity  of  Ruth. 
While  it  behooves  us  to  exercise  a  free  and  large  charity 
toward  the  recognized  usages  of  an  age  so  early  in  the 
progress  of  civilization,  we  may  hope  that  the  intrinsic 
impropriety  of  this  usage  made  it  ver}^  short-lived.    No 

trace  of  it  appears  in  subsequent  Hebrew  history. 

With  this  single  exception  every  feature  in  this  picture 


INTRODUCTION    TO   THE    BOOKS   OF   SAMUEL,  95 

of  home  life  in  Israel  is  full  of  sweet  and  charming 
simplicity  and  fragrant  with  the  aroma  of  moral  purity. 

In  the  result  Boaz  became  the  husband  of  Ruth, 

and  through  this  union  the  father  of  Obed,  from  whom 
next  in  the  line  of  descent  were  Jesse  and  David.  Thus 
Ruth,  of  the  daughters  of  Moab,  and  Rahab,  of  the 
doomed  nations  of  Canaan,  came  by  virtue  of  their 
faith  in  Israel's  God  into  the  nationality  of  Israel,  and 
also  into  the  particular  family  line  of  the  ancestry  of 
the  nation's  Messiah. 

Of  the  author  and  date  of  this  book,  nothing  can  be 
known  with  certainty.  It  is  probable,  yet  not  certain, 
that  the  genealogical  table  at  the  close  (4 :  17-22)  is 
part  of  the  original  book.  If  so,  it  must  have  been 
Avritten  after  David  came  into  some  prominence.  On 
the  concurrent  testimony  of  all  the  ancient  authorities 
it  is  part  of  the  Jewish  Canon  of  books  written  and 
compiled  by  their  prophets.  We  must  rest  it  on  their 
authority,  indorsed  subsequently  by  Christ  and  his 
apostles. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Introduction  to  the  two  Books  of  Samuel. 

On  the  concurrent  testimony  of  all  the  legitimate 
authorities,  the  two  books  of  Samuel  were  originally 
one.  Every  reader  will  notice  that  what  is  now  called 
the  second  book  continues  the  history  of  Saul's  death 
and  of  David  in  the  same  strain,  with  not  the  least 
indication  of  another  author,  or  of  a  different  purpose 
in  the  construction  of  the  history.  There  is  no  appear- 
ance of  transition  at  this  point  from  one  author  to 
another.  It  need  not  be  assumed  that  the  entire  two 
books  of  Samuel  w^ere  written  by  one  man ;  but  only 
that  there  is  no  indication  of  change  of  author  between 
the  last  chapter  of  the  first  book  and  the  first  of  the 
second  book. 

On  the  whole  question  of  authorship  of  the  Hebrew 
historical  books  (Samuel ;  Kings ;  Chronicles),  the  fol- 
lowing points  are  important : 


96  INTRODUCTION   TO   THE   BOOKS   OF   SAMUEL. 

1.  With  Samuel  commenced  a  regular  succession 
of  prophets — the  order  being  sustained  by  continued 
accessions  to  their  number  so  that  their  functions  were 
kept  up  from  generation  to  generation  down  to  the  age 
of  Malachi.  This  point  will  be  discussed  more  at 
length  below. 

2.  One  among  several  functions  of  the  prophetic  order 
was  that  of  committing  to  writing  the  important  events 
of  their  national  history.  They  were  the  annalists  of 
the  Hebrew  people.  (See  more  of  this  under  the  head 
of  the  "  Order  of  Hebrew  prophets.") 

3.  That  Samuel  wrote  the  first  part  of  the  first  book 
of  Samuel — probably  so  much  as  could  have  been  writ- 
ten by  him  before  his  death — is  rendered  highly  proba- 
ble, almost  certain,  by  the  following  considerations : 

(a.)  That  the  author  of  Chronicles  (1  Chron.  29 :  29) 
tell  us  that  "  the  acts  of  David,  first  and  last,  were  writ- 
ten in  the  book  of  Samuel  the  seer,  in  the  book  of 
Nathan  the  prophet,  and  in  the  book  of  Gad  the 
seer,"  etc. 

(b.)  That,  inaugurating  a  system  of  historic  annal- 
ism,  and  making  it  one  of  the  functions  of  the  pro- 
phetic order,  it  is  altogether  reasonable  to  suppose  that 
he  would  give  it  the  force  of  his  own  example,  and, 
indeed,  would  introduce  and  inaugurate  it  SiDccially  by 
means  of  his  personal  example. 

(c.)  To  this  we  may  add  the  concurrent  testimony 
of  all  Hebrew  tradition. 

It  is,  therefore,  more  than  probable  that  Samuel 
wrote,  not  only  the  first  chapters  of  1  Samuel,  but  also 
the  books  of  Judges  and  of  Ruth. 

4.  The  three  following  considerations  render  it  more 
than  probable  that  Gad  and  Nathan  continued  the 
history  known  as  the  books  of  Samuel  from  the  point 
where  Samuel  closed ;  viz. : 

(a.)  The  testimony  of  the  author  of  Chronicles  (as 
above)  that  Samuel,  Gad,  and  Nathan  wrote  the  acts 

of  David. (b.)  The  fact  that  they  stood  in  specially 

intimate  relations  to  David ;  Samuel  having  anointed 
him  and  received  him  as  his  guest  and  friend  at  his 
prophet-college  and  home  in  Ramah  (1  Sam.  19  :  18)  ; 
Gad  being  more  than  once  called  "David's  seer;" 
and  Nathan  haying  been  sent  of  God  to  reprove  him 
for  his   great  sin,  and  being  specially  prominent   in 


INTRODUCTION   TO  THE   BOOKS   OF   SAMUEL.  97 

the  efforts  necessary  to  secure  the  succession  to  Sol- 
omon. Such  intimacy  coincides  with  the  other  evi- 
dence to  indicate  these  prophets  as  the  successive 
authors  of  the  history  in  the  books  of   Samuel — the 

two  latter  completing  what  the  first  began. (c.)  It 

is  every  way  probable  that  both  Gad  and  Nathan 
commenced  their  prophetic  training  under  Samuel, 
and  thus  became  first  acquainted  with  David  through 
this  aged  prophet-father.  Not  improbably  Gad  was 
sent  from  Samuel  to  David  while  in  Moab  (as  in 
1  Sam.  22:  5). 

5.  The  books  of  Samuel  differ  decidedly  from  the 
books  of  Kings  and  Chronicles  in  this  one  point,  viz., 
that  they  contain  no  references  to  other  documents 
in  the  national  archives  for  more  full  information  ; 
while  such  references  occur  constantly  throughout  the 
books  of  Kings  and  Chronicles.  Consequently  the 
work  of  the  author  in  the  case  of  Kings  and  Chron- 
icles was  largely  that  of  compiler  from  other  docu- 
ments previously  written.  On  the  other  hand  the  books 
of  Samuel  have  no  such  references,  but  seem  to  have 
been  written  by  men  personally  cognizant  of  the  facts 
they  record.  The  business  of  historic  annalism  was 
then  in  the  forming  stage  of  its  development.  This 
is  as  we  ought  to  expect  on  the  assumption  that  Sam- 
uel himself  set  the  example  and  inaugurated  the  prac- 
tice— having  however,  such  illustrious  exami:>les  as 
Moses  and  probably  Joshua  before  him.  The  special 
work  of  Samuel  was  to  inaugurate  the  system  and 
provide  the  requisite  agencies  for  its  permanence. 

In  striking  confirmation  of  these  views  is  the  inter- 
nal evidence  in  the  early  chapters  of  1  Samuel  that  its 
author  was  an  eye-witness — personally  cognizant  of  the 
important  facts  he  narrates.  Who  but  Samuel  could 
give  the  story  of  his  first  call  to  the  prophetic  work 
as  we  have  it  1  Sam.  3?  So  also  of  his  reported  ad- 
dresses to  the  people,  chaps.  7,  and  8,  and  12. 

The  First  Book  of  Samuel. 

The  prominent  individual  characters  in  this  book 
are  Samuel  and  his  mother;  Eli,  the  high  priest,  and 
his  sons ;  Saul,  the  first  king  of  Israel,  and  David  the 
second.    The  important  historical  facts  are  those  which 


98  SAMUEL   AND   HIS   MOTHER. 

pertain  to  the  national  worship  at  the  tabernacle  in 
Shiloh;  the  conflicts  with  their  Philistine  enemies;  the 
captivity  and  fortunes  of  the  ark  of  the  covenant ;  the 
rise  and  development  of  the  prophetic  order  in  and  by 
means  of  Samuel;  the  establishment  of  the  kingdom 
under  Saul ;  his  reign  and  death ;  and  the  scenes  of 
David's  early  peril,  discipline,  and  growth  toward  the 
greatness  and  goodness  of  Israel's  best  king. 

Noticeably  we  have  here  an  unquestionable  allusion 
to  an  annual  festival  to  the  Lord  at  the  religious  cap- 
ital, Shiloh — the  first  well  defined  allusion  since  Joshua 
kept  the  Passover  in  Gilgal  (Josh.  5  :  10,  11).  "A  feast 
of  the  Lord  in  Shiloh  j^early  "  is  referred  to  (Judges  21 : 
19-21)  as  a  scene  of  virgin  dances.  It  may,  perhaps, 
have  been  the  feast  of  tabernacles — how  true  to  its 
original  purpose  it  is  difficult  to  say.  But  here  we 
have  the  record  of  a  man  of  Ramathaim-zophim,^ 
Elkanah  by  name,  who  "  went  up  out  of  his  city  year- 
ly "  (it  is  not  said  three  times  a  year)  ^'  to  worship  and 
to  sacrifice  to  the  Lord  of  Hosts  in  Shiloh."  There 
were,  therefore,  some  pious  families  who  remembered 
the  requirements  of  the  law  of  God  through  Moses. 
The  frequent  and  fearful  relapses  of  the  tribes  into 
idolatry  had  not  utterly  extinguished  the  national  wor- 
ship yearly  at  the  tabernacle. 

In  the  scenes  of  this  chapter  and  the  next,  Hannah, 
one  of  the  two  wives  of  Elkanah,  is  the  central  person- 
age. For  years  the  living  grief  of  her  heart  had  been 
barrenness.  She  had  the  love  of  her  husband,  but  the 
proud  scorn  of  this  second  wife  of  her  husband  who  had 
cliildren.  This  woman,  Peninnah,  is  spoken  of  (1 :  6)  as 
"  her  adversary,"  provoking  her  with  sore  temptations 
to  fretfulness.      These   griefs  of   Hannah's   heart  are 

*"  The  locality  of  Elkanah's  home  and  of  Samuel's  is  assigned  vari- 
ously. Were  they  the  same?  Was  Elkanah '' o/  3It.  Fphraim^'  in 
the  sense  of  living  there  then,  or  merely  of  having  previously  lived 
there?  Is  this  "Ephrath"  (as  in  other  passages)  the  same  as  Beth- 
lehem in  Judah?  There  is  a  well  known  Ramah  six  miles  north  of 
Jerusalem.  Was  this  the  locality  of  their  "  house  "  (1 :  19)  ?  Or,  as 
Dr.  Robinson  concludes,  was  their  home  at  Sobah,  four  or  five  miles 
west  of  Jerusalem? These  questions  have  scarcely  sufficient  im- 
portance to  justify  more  extended  discussion  here.  See  Biblical  Be- 
Bearches  in  Palestine,  vol.  II:  40,  141,  331,  and  334;  and  Bib.  Sacra. 
1843,  p.  50G;  and  Smith's  Bible  Dictionary,  Ramah  (2)  and  Rama- 
thaim-zophim ;  and  Coleman,  105. 


SAMUEL  AND   HIS   MOTHER.  99 

brought  before  us  to  show  why  she  cast  her  burden  so 
earnestly  upon  the  Lord,  and  how  it  came  to  pass  that 
Samuel  was  a  child  of  many  and  mighty  prayers  before 
he  was  born.  Indeed,  he  was  specially  consecrated  to 
God,  a  Nazarite  from  the  womb,  before  his  birth,  and 
the  fact  embalmed  in  his  very  name  Samuel^  one  asked 
of  God — a  gift  sought  in  prayer,  and  therefore  fitly  lent 

back  to  the  Lord  for  his  whole  life's  service. If  in  her 

grief,  and  vows,  and  prayers  for  a  son  whom  she  might 
consecrate  to  God,  Hannah  fails  to  gain  the  sympathy 
of  her  sex  in  our  age  by  reason  of  current  notions  as 
to  maternity,  let  it  bear,  not  to  her  dishonor,  but  to 
theirs.  Her  heart  was  too  noble  to  think  it  a  disgrace 
to  be  a  mother.  She  was  too  true  to  her  divine  mission 
to  repel  the  responsibilities,  the  care,  or  even  the  pains 
of  maternit}^  The  highest  ambition  of  her  soul  was 
to  be  the  mother  of  a  son  whom  she  might  give  to  the 
Lord  and  train  for  any  service  the  Lord  might  please  to 
assign.     No  ambition  in  the  heart  of  woman  can  be 

purer  or  nobler. To  such  a  woman  God  gave  the 

child  Samuel.  Her  record  as  a  praying  mother  is  price- 
less for  our  common  humanity.  It  can  not  be  said  too 
emphatically  that  hers  was  the  true  idea  of  woman's 
mission.  The  names  of  only  a  few  women  stand  em- 
balmed for  all  time  on  the  pages  of  God's  ancient  word. 
Almost  without  exception,  those  few  names  are  there, 
exalted  to  that  high  honor  because  they  were  true 
mothers. 

The  Lord  remembered  Hannah  with  the  gift  of  a 
son ;  and  she  gratefully  remembered  her  vow.  In  pur- 
suance of  it,  she  retained  him  at  her  bosom  so  long  as 
his  infancy  required,  and  then  brought  him  to  the  altar 
of  God  at  Shiloh  with  the  customary  sacrifice,  and  there 
consecrated  him  to  the  Lord,  to  be  taken  back  no  more. 
Her  words  to  Eli  on  this  occasion  were  few  but  expres- 
sive :  "  O  my  Lord,  as  thy  soul  liveth,  I  am  the  woman 
that  stood  by  thee  here,  praying  unto  the  Lord.  For  this 
child  I  prayed,  and  the  Lord  hath  given  me  my  peti- 
tion which  I  asked  of  him :  therefore  also  have  I  lent 
him  to  the  Lord;  as  long  as  he  liveth  he  shall  be  lent 

to  the  Lord." If  we  ask  how  this  praying  mother 

felt  at  this  hour;  if  we  are  curious  to  hear  how  she 
herself  expresses  the  gratitude  and  exultation  of  her 
soul  when  the  Lord  so  signally  heard  her  prayer  and 


100  SAMUEL   AND   HIS   MOTHER. 

accepted  her  offering,  we  may  be  gratified.  Her  prayer- 
ful song  is  here  before  us  in  ten  full  verses  (1  Sam.  2 : 
1-10).  The  first  words  strike  the  key-note  :  "  My  heart 
rejoiceth  in  the  Lord;  mine  horn  is  exalted  in  the 
Lord ;  my  mouth  is  enlarged  over  mine  enemies,  be- 
cause I  rejoice  in  thy  salvation.  There  is  none  holy 
as  Jehovah :  for  there  is  none  beside  thee :  neither  is 
there  any  rock  like  our  God."  With  frequent  reiter- 
ation she  tells  us  that  God  shapes  and  reverses  human 
destiny,  lifting  up  the  lowly,  casting  down  the  proud — 
for  she  can  not  forget  how  the  Lord  had  remembered 
her  low  estate;  had  heard  her  prayer,  and  put  this 
grateful  song  into  her  mouth.  Ere  she  closes,  her  song 
rises  to  the  grandest  generalizations.  "The  pillars  of 
the  earth  are  the  Lord's,  and  he  hath  set  the  world 
upon  them.  He  will  keep  the  feet  of  his  saints,  and 
the  wicked  shall  be  silent  in  darkness.  The  adversa- 
ries of  the  Lord  shall  be  broken  to  pieces;  out  of 
heaven  shall  he  thunder  upon  them;  the  Lord  shall 
judge  the  ends  of  the  earth ;  and  he  shall  give  strength 

to  his  king  and  exalt  the  horn  of  his  anointed." 

This  anticipation  of  a  "king"  over  God's  chosen  peo- 
ple, and  this  first  use  of  the  term  Messiah  ["his 
Anointed"],  are  distinctly  prophetic  of  the  changes  in 
the  national  form  of  government  then  near  at  hand, 
and  of  these  human  kings  of  David's  line  as  fore- 
shadowing the  Lord's  Great  Anointed. 

Samuel  is  left  at  the  sacred  tabernacle  to  be  under 
the  care  of  the  priests  during  his  early  childhood,  em- 
ployed in  such  ministries  about  the  house  of  God  as  his 
maturing  powers  were  adapted  to  perform.  We  are 
told  that  year  by  year  his  mother  made  and  brought  up 
for  him  "a  little  coat" — an  outer  tunic,  worn  by  those 
who  ministered  before  the  Lord.  Thus  she  refreshed  her 
spirit  with  the  evidences,  growing  year  by  year,  that 
the  Lord  had  accepted  her  gift,  and  was  training 
her  Samuel — rather,  his  own  Samuel — for  yet  higher 
services. 

"  The  Lord  had  need  of  him."  Samuel  represents, 
not  himself  alone,  but  the  prophetic  order.  This  new 
and  vastly  important  religious  agency  had  its  rise  as  an 
institution,  in  him.  There  had  been  individual  proph- 
ets before  Samuel,  but  no  established  order,  no  sus- 
tained succession,  no  definite,  constant  service ;  and  no 


SAMUEL   AND   HIS  MOTHER.  101 

organized  agencies  to  train  men  for  it.  With  Samuel, 
this  new  order  took  its  rise. 

It  is  pertinent  here  to  note  that  the  history  inter- 
weaves the  youth  and  developmewts  of  Samuel  with 
startling  proofs  of  the  astounding  degeneracy  of  the 
priesthood — as  if  to  indicate  the  moral  necessity  for  in- 
troducing new  and  more  reliable  spiritual  agencies. 

Eli  seems  to  have  been  in  some  points  true  to  his  re- 
sponsibilities—a man  of  some  right  impulses,  but  alas, 
sadly,  pitifully  weak  in  the  training  and  control  of 
his  two  sons.  Hophni  and  Phinehas,  then  in  active 
service  in  the  priesthood,  are  said  and  shown  to  be 
"  sons  of  Belial  "  (2  :  12),  guilty  of  outrageous  sacrilege 
in  appropriating  to  themselves  the  offerings  brought 
by  pious  Israelites  according  to  Mosaic  law,  taking 
what  they  chose  in  defiance  of  the  laws  of  sacrifice. 
The  Mosaic  law  specified  the  parts  of  the  several  offer- 
ings (sin,  trespass,  and  peace-offerings)  which  belonged 
to  the  priests.  (See  Lev.  6  :  26,  29,  and  7 :  6-10,  28-34, 
and  Num.  18 :  8-14,  18),  But  the  law  gave  no  permis- 
sion to  thrust  a  three-tined  fork  into  the  seething  flesh, 
to  take  out  the  choice  pieces  for  the  priest,  nor  did 
it  permit  him  to  make  his  first  grab  into  the  unsod- 
den  flesh  before  the  cooking  process  commenced.  By 
this  double  gouge,  skillfully  manipulated,  the  priest 
secured  for  himself  the  choicest  and  probably  the 
greatest  part  of  all  the  animal  offerings.  His  threat 
to  take  what  he  would  hy  force  indicates  a  spirit  reck- 
less at  once  of  God  and  of  man,  of  piety  and  of  com- 
mon decency. The  Lord  through  his  prophet  ex- 
presses his  sense  of  this  insult  in  the  words  trans- 
lated :  ''  Wherefore  kick  ye  at  my  sacrifices  and  at  my 
offerings  which  I  have  commanded?" — the  true  sense 
of  the  Hebrew  being  rather — Wherefore  do  ye  trample 
under  foot — tread  upon,  as  if  with  supreme  contempt  ? 

To  this  horrible  sacrilege — so  flagrant  and  scandalous 
that  men  abhorred  the  offering  of  the  Lord  and  were 
repelled  from  his  sanctuary — they  added  shameless 
adultery  with  the  women  who  assembled  at  the  door  of 
the  tabernacle — making  God's  own  house  their  brothel ! 

No  wonder  that  the  Lord  rebuked  Eli — not  so  much 

his  sons  who  were  hopelessly  doomed  to  a  swift  and  fear- 
ful death,  as  the  aged  father  for  his  unpardonable  dere- 
liction in  both  parental  and  official  duty  toward  those 


102  SAMUEL,   ELI  AND   HIS   SONS. 

sons.  This  rebuke  was  duplicated — the  first  sent  by  a 
man  of  God,  not  named  in  the  record  (2  :  27-36) ;  the 
second,  by  the  child  Samuel  (3:  11-14).  In  the  first 
rebuke  the  salient  points  are— Did  I  not  give  to  thy 
tribe  and  family  the  high  honors  and  emoluments  of  the 
priesthood?  Wherefore,  then,  hast  thou  honored  thy 
sons  above  me  in  allowing  them  to  commit  sacrilege  at 
my  altar?  Why  in  the  person  of  thy  sons  hast  thou 
trampled  under  foot  the  sacrifices  designed  for  God's 
honor  in  his  earthly  dwelling?  I  have  said  that  thy 
house  should  stand  before  me  in  the  priesthood  forever  ; 
but  now  "  the  Lord  saith — Be  it  far  from  me ;  "  I  can 
endure  these  insults  no  longer.  ''  Them  that  honor  me 
I  will  honor ;  and  they  that  despise  me  shall  be  lightly 

esteemed." The  judgments  threatened  were,  that  his 

posterity  should  be  cut  off  in  youth,  none  ever  attaining 
to  old  age ;  that  their  life  should  be  only  a  consuming 
grief;  that  when  joy  should  come  to  Israel,  it  should 
bring  no  joy  to  his  posterity ;  *  and  that  the  sign  and 
pledge  of  these  crushing  calamities  should  be  that  his 
two  sons,  Hophni  and  Phinehas,  should  both  die  in  one 
day.  God  would  raise  up  a  faithful  priest  and  make  for 
him  a  sure  house,  while  the  posterity  of  Eli,  doomed  to 
abject  poverty,  should  beg  the  humblest  pittance  and 

most   menial   service   for   a   bare   subsistence.- The 

reader  may  notice  that,  according  to  the  very  common 
law  of  divine  judgments,  this  followed  closely  in  the 
line  of  the  sin  punished,  so  as  to  be  a  perpetual  reminder 
of  that  sin.  The  sin  was  (in  part)  sacrilegiously  clutch- 
ing from  God's  sacrifices  at  his  very  altar  all  they  could 
get  their  hand  on.  The  judgment  was  that  they  should 
beg  around  the  same  altar  for  the  most  menial  service 
and  for  the  merest  pittance  of  bread. 

Samuel  Becomes  a  Prophet. 

The  second  prediction  of  judgment  on  Eli  and  his 

"••  "Thou  shalt  see  an  enemy  in  my  habitation   in  all  the  wealth 
which  God  shall  give  Israel" — has  been  construed   variously,  e.  (/. 

(1.)  Thou  shalt  see  a  home-enemy^  an  adversary  of  the  house  or 

home — in  all  that  may  be  well  for  Israel,  i.  e.,  in  all  her  prosperity. 
(2.)  Thou  shalt  see  straitness  of  habitation — straitncss,  narrow- 
ness of  place,  in   all    Israel's   prosperity   (Gesenius); (3.)  Thou 

shalt  look  with  a  distressed  look  upon  all  the  prosperity  of  Israel 
(Fuerst). All  these  constructions  concur  substantially  in  the  gen- 
eral sense  given  above. 


SAMUEL   BECOMES   A   PROPHET.  103 

sons  was  sent  through  the  lips  of  "  the  child  Samuel.'' 
The  inspired  record  gives  a  simple  and  beautiful  ac- 
count of  the  way  in  which  the  Lord  first  made  himself 
known  to  young  Samuel.  "The  word  of  the  Lord  was 
rare  (Eng.  version  '  precious  ')  in  those  days ;  there  was 
no  open  vision  " — the  word  for  "  open  "  having  usually 
the  sense  of  spread  abroad  before  the  public.  Possibly 
the  idea  may  be — no  vision  which  clearly  made  known 

God's  thoughts  and  words. Samuel  was  sleeping  in 

an  apartment  near  to  that  of  the  aged  Eli,  and  was  sud- 
denly awaked  by  a  voice  calling  his  name.  He  ran  to 
Eli  to  answer  this  call.  Eli  said — "  I  did  not  call  thee ; 
lie  down  again."  The  third  time  Eli  saw  that  this  call 
was  the  voice  of  God  to  the  child,  and,  therefore,  in- 
structed Samuel  to  answer,  "  Speak,  Lord,  for  thy  serv- 
ant heareth."  The  Lord  did  speak: — "Behold,  I  will 
do  a  thing  at  which  both  the  ears  of  every  one  that 
heareth  it  shall  tingle."  I  am  about  to  fulfill  against 
Eli  all  I  have  said  concerning  his  house,  "  beginning 
and  finishing."  I  have  told  him  that  I  will  judge  his 
house  forever  for  the  iniquity  of  which  he  was  cogni- 
zant— that  when  his  sons  were  bringing  a  curse  upon 
themselves,  he  restrained  them  not.  The  translation 
"  made  themselves  vile  "  (v.  13),  comes  short  of  the  full 
sense  of  the  Hebrew,  which  means,  not  merely  that 
they  were  bringing  dishonor  upon  themselves,  but 
curses.  They  were  drawing  down  upon  their  guilty 
heads  the  very  thunderbolts  of  heaven.  Their  father 
should  have  known  this ;  yet  he  "  restrained  them  not." 
The  fatal  mistake  of  this  too  indulgent  father  was  that 
his  methods  of  discipline  lacked  adaptation — were  far 
behind  and  below  the  point  of  depravity  which  the 
sons  had  reached  ;  had  a  tone  of  very  tender  and  gentle 
expostulation,  "Why  do  ye  so?"  which  might  have 
been  well  for  young  sinners  of  quick  and  vigorous  con- 
science, but  never  for  old  and  hardened  offenders. 
Their  case  demanded  of  him  the  most  stern  and  vigor- 
ous punishment ;  such  restraint  as  they  could  not  but 
feel.  Because  the  father's  hand  failed  to  restrain  them, 
God  took  their  case  into  his  own  hand,  and  not  only 
launched  those  curses  upon  the  sons,  but  doomed  the 
posterity  of  Eli  to  virtual  exclusion  from  the  priest- 
hood.    "  I  have  sworn  to  the   house  of  Eli,  that  the 


104  JUDGMENTS  ON   ELl's   HOUSE. 

iniquity  of  Eli's  house  shall  not  be  purged  with  sacri- 
fice nor  offering  forever." 

The  secret  is  now  in  the  bosom  of  Samuel ;  shall  he 
divulge  it  to  Eli?  It  is  one  of  the  sore  trials  of  the 
prophet's  mission ;  ''  he  feared  to  show  Eli  the  vision." 
But  Eli  would  know.  Consciously  guilty,  his  con- 
science was  more  than  half  a  prophet  of  doom.  He 
adjured  Samuel  most  solemnly  to  tell  him  every  word — 
and  he  did.  Here  a  shade  of  light  falls  on  this  picture, 
otherwise  all  dark ; — Eli's  answer  breathes  submission 
to  the  terrible  decision  of  Jehovah.  '•  It  is  the  Lord ; 
let  him  do  what  seemeth  to  him  good." 

The  word  of  the  Lord  has  now  gone  forth ;  events 
hasten,  therefore,  to  their  fearful  consummation.  The 
Philistines  came  forth  in  strength  for  battle.  Israel 
w^^s  smitten ;  four  thousand  men  fell  on  the  field.  The 
elders  of  Israel  ask,  Wherefore  is  this  ?  What  shall  W' e 
do?  They  remember  how  the  presence  of  the  ark  of 
God  rolled  back  the  waters  of  Jordan  and  brought  down 
the  walls  of  Jericho ;  so  they  said.  The  ark  shall  go 
forth  with  us  to  the  battle.  God  will  surely  appear  to 
defend  his  own  ark  of  the  covenant,  and  to  give  us  vic- 
tory. So  they  sent  to  Shiloh  and  brought  forth  the  ark. 
With  it  came  the  two  sons  of  Eli.  The  feeling  of  the 
army  was  shown  when  the  ark  came  into  the  camj)  : 
"  All  Israel  shouted  with  a  great  shout  so  that  the  earth 

rang  again."     Now  they  were  sure  of  victory. The 

Philistines  heard  the  shouting,  and  learned  with  no 
little  solicitude  that  the  ark  of  the  Lord  had  been 
brought  into  the  camp  of  Israel.  Ah,  they  had  heard 
of  the  wonders  wrought  by  the  God  of  Israel  in  Egypt 
and  in  the  wilderness : — but  the  second  thought  was 
that  of  resolute  courage  and  a  more  desperate  conflict. 
"Quit  you  like  men,  and  fight."  They  did  fight;  and 
Israel  was  terribly  smitten;  thirty  thousand  footmen 
fell ;  the  ark  of  God  was  taken,  and,  as  the  Lord  had 
said,  Hophni  and  Phinehas  were  both  slain  in  one  day. 
A  man  of  Benjamin  ran  the  same  day  to  Shiloh  with 
the  tidings.  Eli,  ninety-eight  years  of  age,  was  sitting 
on  a  seat  by  the  wayside  watching,  "  for  his  heart  trem- 
bled for  the  ark  of  God."  At  the  tidings  the  men  of  the 
city  sent  up  their  wail  of  woe,  which  Eli  heard,  and 
anxiously  inquired—"  What  meaneth  the  noise  of  this 
tumult  ?  "     The  messenger  rehearsed  the  sad  tale,  one 


MORAL  LESSONS  IN  THESE  EVENTS.  105 

calamity  after  another :  Israel  fled  ;  a  great  slaughter 
of  the  people  ;  thy  two  sons  dead ;  the  ark  of  God  taken! 
The  old  man  bore  it  all  till  the  last  words — the  ark 
taken,  and  then  fell  backward  from  his  seat,  and 
heavy  as  he  was,  his  neck  brake  and  he  died.  The 
wife  of  Phinehas  was  near  the  point  of  child-birth ;  the 
tidings  brought  upon  her  the  pains  of  travail;  she 
lived  to  name  her  new-born  child  Ichabod — Where  is 
the  glory  ?  and  then  gave  up  her  life,  for  she  said : 
"  The  glory  is  departed  from  Israel,  because  the  ark  of 
God  was  taken,"  and  her  father  and  her  husband  were 

with  the  dead. Thus  the  judgments  on  Eli's  house 

began  on  that  fearful  day  and  hastened  toward  their 
consummation. 

The  events  of  this  fourth  chapter  have  moral  bear- 
ings in  two  directions,  viz.,  (1)  As  illustrating  the 
judgments  of  God  in  time  on  great  sinners ;  and  (2) 
As  showing  the  utter  worthlessness  of  the  mere  forms 
and  externals  of  religion  to  shield  sinners  from  God's 
retributions.  1.  Here  was  a  case  of  flagrant  wicked- 
ness. The  head  and  front  of  the  offense  was  in  the 
priesthood.  But  the  people  were  largely  implicated. 
Such  sacrilege  and  such  abominations  of  lust  in  the 
very  house  of  God  could  not  go  on  year  after  year  with- 
out involving  fearful  guilt  on  the  part  of  the  people 
at  large.  Not  the  priesthood  only,  but  the  very  nation 
had  made  itself  loathsome  before  God;  and,  conse- 
quently, terrible  judgments  from  the  Lord  must  needs 
wdtness  to  his  hatred  of  sin  and  to  his  justice  in  its 
punishment ;  and  were  moreover  demanded  as  the  last 
hopeful  means  for  the  moral  reformation  of  so  many  as 
w^ere  not  yet  hopelessly  hardened.  Hence  came  this 
one  day  of  accumulated  horrors.  A  lost  battle ;  Israel 
panic-smitten  and  fleeing ;  30,000  of  her  dead  strown  on 
the  field  of  battle ;  the  two  sons  of  Eli,  acting  priests, 
slain  in  one  day ;  the  ark  of  God  in  the  hands  of  un- 
circumcised  Philistines ;  the  aged  Eli  and  the  wife  of 
Phinehas  dead — the  dying  mother  giving  the  key-note  to 
the  sad  wail  of  that  day  :  "  The  glory  is  departed  from 
Israel !  "  Thus  it  behooved  tlie  God  of  Israel  to  testify 
that  he  is  of  purer  eye  than  to  behold  iniquity;  that 
he  can  never  wink  at  such  flagrant  abominations,  and, 
least  of  all,  in  those  who  minister  at  his  altar. 

2.  The  last  remark  suggests  the  second  great  moral  les- 


106  MORAL   LESSONS  IN   THESE    EVENTS. 

son  of  these  events  ;  viz.,  the  utter  worthlessness  of  the 
mere  forms  and  externals  of  religion  to  shield  sinners 
from  God's  retributions.  There  can  never  be  a  finer 
opportunity  than  this  to  test  the  value  of  the  mere 
forms  and  rituals  of  religion  as  means  of  saving  a  sin- 
ning people  from  the  deserved  judgments  of  God.  If 
any  ritualities,  or  sacraments,  or  religious  symbols  ever 
carried  with  them  the  divine  presence,  this  ark  of  the 
covenant  did  so,  for  it  was  God's  resting-place  and  visi- 
ble abode.  If  the  mere  presence  of  any  thing  sacred  to 
God  can  save  men  in  their  sins  and  despite  of  their  sins, 
men  might  surely  expect  that  the  ark  of  God's  covenant 
would  carry  victory  with  it,  and  that  God  would  not 
allow  his  name  to  "  go  to  protest  "  before  idolaters.  If 
there  be  any  saving  power  in  the  mere  ritualities  and 
sacraments  of  our  holy  religion,  here  was  a  splendid 
opportunity  to  test  and  display  it.  Let  it  be  supposed 
that  God  had  made  his  ark  the  talisman  of  victory  on 
this  eventful  day ;  that  he  had  said—"  I  can  not  afford 
to  dishonor  my  name  before  the  uncircumcised  hosts  of 
Philistia  w^hen  the  very  ark  of  my  presence  is  borne 
to  the  fight  by  my  priests  in  their  holy  garments.  Bad 
as  my  people  are,  I  must  have  respect  to  these  symbols 
of  my  presence,  and  shield  my  professed  worshipers." 
Had  the  Lord  said  this,  the  genius  of  ritualism  would 
have  been  baptized  in  glory!  No  event  since  the  world 
began  has  ever  borne  such  a  testimony  to  its  value  and 
its  power  as  a  victory  given  to  the  sacred  ark  on  that 
day  would  have  borne.  All  down  through  the  ages  men 
would  have  reverted  to  this  palpable  testimony  of  fact 
as  proof  that  God  does  spare  and  bless  even  the  wicked 
when  they  hide  themselves  beneath  the  wing  of  his 
cherubim,  though  it  be  done  in  the  outivard  only ;  when 
they  put  the  sacred  ark  between  their  guilty  souls  and 
the  arrows  of  God's  retributive  justice.  Oh,  how  would 
men,  conscious  of  damning  sin  upon  their  souls,  have 
hastened  to  the  holy  sacraments  of  the  altar  and  sought 
to  hide  under  sacred  vestments  and  the  hallowed  em- 
blems of  God's  presence !  How  would  souls  quivering 
on  the  verge  of  hell  have  cried  out  for  the  priests  of  God 
that  they  might  but  touch  the  hem  of  their  garments, 
receive  the  holy  water  from  their  sacred  hands,  and  take 
the  symbols  of  Christ's  death  to  their  dying  lips  with 
the  refreshing  assurance  that  God  will  honor  such  sym- 


THE   ARK   IN   CAPTIVITY.  107 

bols  of  his  love  as  these,  and /or  tJieir  sake  blot  out  human 

guilt  and  save  a  dying  sinner  from  perdition ! But 

alas !  such  a  testimony  to  the  power  of  the  mere  forms 
of  religion  has  never  yet  been  given  from  heaven !  The 
events  of  this  chapter  stand  solid  against  all  such  vain 
hopes. 

The  Arh  in  Captivity, 

The  thread  of  the  history  (1  Sam.  5  and  6)  follows 
the  ark  to  the  land  and  the  cities  of  the  Philistines. 
First,  they  of  Ashdod  have  it  in  charge.  Whether  as 
being  the  only  appropriate  place  for  it  they  could 
think  of,  or  forinsult  to  the  conquered  symbol  of  Israel's 
humbled  God,  "  they  brought  it  into  the  temple  of  their 
Dagon  and  set  it  by  Dagon."  This  Dagon  (it  is  well 
that  we  remind  ourselves)  was  a  fish-god,  with  human 
head,  breast,  and  arms,  and  all  the  rest  fishy ;  i.  e.,  the 
lower  half  of  the  trunk,  and  the  lower  limbs  were  sup- 
plied from  the  headless  fish.  Whether  in  their  science 
of  idols,  this  fish  idea  were  in  honor  of  their  fisheries  as 
a  source  of  their  wealth,  or  a  symbol  of  fecundity,  has 
been  disputed,  and  we  may  aftbrd  to  let  it  remain  dis- 
puted, for  all  science  of  idolatry  is  only  human  folly. 

In  the  present  case,  the  ark  of  God  and  this  Dagon 

were  brought  face  to  face  to  spend  the  night  together. 
When  they  of  Ashdod  arose  early  in  the  morning  and 
hastened  to  their  temple,  lo,  Dagon  had  fallen  upon  his 
face  to  the   earth   before  the  ark  of  Jehovah.      Most 

significant ! "  They  took  Dagon  and  set  him  in  his 

place."  Perhaps  they  were  not  quite  sure  of  the  signif- 
icance of  this  fall;  so  they  put  up  their  god  to  another 
"round"  (as  the  pugilists  would  say) — one  more  trial 
in  combat.  When  they  arose  early  the  next  morning, 
behold,  Dagon  was  not  only  fallen  on  his  face  to  the 
ground  before  the  ark,  but  his  head  and  both  palms  of 
his  hands  were  cut  off  upon  the  threshold;  only  the 
fishy  part  remained  to  him.  By  one  of  the  curious  and 
unaccountable  freaks  of  superstition,  the  priests  and 
worshipers  of  Dagon  commemorated  this  significant  and 
to  them  disgraceful  fall  and  dismemberment  of  their 
god  by  never  stepping  on  the  threshold  of  their  temple. 
The  writer  remarks  that  this  usage  was  in  force  to  his 
day. 


108  THE   ARK   IN   CAPTIVITY. 

Not  the  god  Das-on  only,  but  the  men  of  Aslidod  were 
smitten  sorely.  The  record  is :  "  The  hand  of  the  Lord 
was  heavy  upon  them  of  Ashdod,  and  he  destroyed 
them  and  smote  them  with  emerods."  This  scourge 
was  so  severe  that  they  said,  We  can  not  have  this  ark 
of  God  among  us.  So  they  called  a  council  of  Philis- 
tine lords,  and  it  was  agreed  to  try  it  in  Gath.  "They 
carried  the  ark  to  Gath,"and  there  the  hand  of  the  Lord 
was  against  the  city  with  a  very  great  destruction,  and 
he  smote  the  men  of  the  city,  both  small  and  great, 

and  they  had  emerods  in  tlieir  secret  parts." There 

seems  to  have  been  some  form  of  pestilence  fatal  to 
life,  expressed  under  the  word  "  destruction ; "  and  also 
another  great  affliction,  under  the  name  "  emerods." 
This  name  is  unfortunately  blind  to  many  English 
readers  because  the  word  is  mostly  obsolete,  being  a 
corruption  of  the  medical  term  "hemorrhoids" — the 
painful  disease  currently  known  as  "the  pilesJ^ 

The  cities  of  the  Philistines  were  by  this  time 
thoroughly  alarmed.  Not  one  would  consent  to  have 
the  ark  in  its  keeping.  Another  council  was  sum- 
moned; the  priests  and  diviners  were  called  in,  and  it 
was  concluded  to  send  the  ark  back  to  Israel,  not  empty 
(said  these  diviners),  but  with  a  trespass-offering.  Ee- 
markably  this  trespass-offering  is  described  as  "five 
golden  emerods  and  five  golden  mice  " — the  number  of 
each  corresponding  to  the  five  principalities  of  Philis- 
tia,  for  the  one  plague  was  common  to  them  all.  More- 
over, it  is  clear  that  these  golden  emerods  and  mice 
were  representations  in  form  of  the  plagues  under 
which  they  suffered  so  terribly,  and  that  their  purpose 
was  to  "  give  glory  to  the  God  of  Israel " — a  very  ex- 
plicit acknowledgment  of  his  supremacy,  and  of  their 
own  defeat  and  suffering  before  him.  By  these  tokens 
of  their  suffering  they  said,  to  their  own  shame — "  We 
can  not  stand  before  these  manifestations  of  Jehovah's 
presence  and  power."  Urging  the  adoption  of  this 
method  of  joint  confession  and  restitution,  they  said—. 
"Wherefore,  then,  do  ye  harden  j^our  heart  as  the 
Egyptians  and  Pharaoh  hardened  their  heart  ?  When 
he  had  wrought  wonderfully  among  them,  did  they  not 
let  the  people  go,  and  they  departed  ?  "  Be  not  ye  stiff- 
nocked,  after  that  ancient  and  fatal  example  of  Egypt 
and  her  king  ;  but  yield  promptly,  humbly,  gracefully; 


THE    ARK   SENT  BACK.  109 

and  acknowledge  that  ye  can  in  no  wise  stand  before 
Jehovah  and  his  fiery  judgments! 

As  if  to  make  it  more  sure  whether  these  judgments 
were  fortuitous,  or  came  from  the  hand  of  Israel's  God, 
they  said  —  Make  a  new  cart;  harness  to  it  two  young 
heifers  with  young  calves,  never  in  yoke  before ;  shut 
up  the  calves  at  home ;  then  start  them.  If  they  take 
the  way  to  Israel's  cities,  and  go  on  despite  of  their 
instincts  toward  their  young  confined  at  home,  then 
may  ye  know  that  God  is  with  his  ark,  and  that  these 

sore  afflictions  are  from  his  hand. The  experiment 

was  decisive.  The  young  cows  moved  off  by  the  route 
to  Israel,  lowing  for  their  calves  as  they  went,  and 
halted  not  till  they  brought  up  at  Bethshemesh,  a  city 
of  Israel.  Thus  ended  these  scenes  of  seven  months' 
captivity  of  the  ark  among  the  Philistines. 

It  will  readily  recur  to  every  reader  that  the  fortunes 
of  the  ark  in  its  captivity  among  the  Philistines  suffice 
to  solve  the  problem  whether  God  were  able  to  take 
care  of  his  own  ark  of  the  covenant  without  the  aid  of 
his  chosen  people.  For  the  ark  went  forth  into  that 
captivity  alone.  Not  a  man  of  all  its  appointed  guard- 
ians stood  by  to  protect  it.  No  cordon  of  armed  Levites, 
zealous  for  God,  often  firm  of  hand  and  brave  of  heart 
for  battle,  remained  for  its  body-guard.  The  Lord  alone 
stood  by  for  its  defense,  and  the  history  shows  with 
what  result.  Plainly  the  Lord  labored  under  no  lack 
of  resources  to  shield  his  ark  from  insult,  to  scourge  its 
Philistine  enemies,  and  make  them  but  too  glad  to  send 
it  back.  These  showings  of  Jehovah's  power  might, 
we  must  suppose,  have  been  w^holesome  and  admonitory 
to  the  men  of  Philistia,  had  their  minds  been  in  any 
wise  open  to  conviction  of  the  truth  as  to  the  God  of 
Israel. 

Samuel  as  Judge. 

The  history  of  Samuel  as  Judge  of  Israel  is  brought 
chiefly  wdthin  1  Sam.  7.  The  ark,  moving  back  from 
the  Philistine  land  by  stages,  tarried  twenty  years  in 
Kirjath-jearim.*    It  is  not  surprising  that  pious  hearts 

••■This  was  one  of  the  cities  of  the  Gibeonites,  on  the  S.  W.  border 
of  the  tei-ritory  of  Benjamin,  six  or  seven  miles  N.  W.  from  Jerusa- 
lem and  eight  or  ten  N.  E.  from  Bethshemesh.  Its  ancient  site  is  now 
recognized  in  the  modern  Kuriet  El  Enab,  determined  satisfactorily 
by  Dr.  Robinson. 


110  SAMUEL   AS   JUDGE. 

in  Israel  mourned  its  absence,  nor  that  those  who  valued 
it  only  as  embodying  the  ritualities  and  forms  of  their 
worship  should  feel  unrestful.  It  is  said,  "All  the 
house  of  Israel  lamented  after  the  Lord  "  (7 :  2).  At 
this  point  Samuel  comes  to  view.  With  the  pertinence 
of  blended  good  sense  and  piet}^,  he  said  to  all  Israel, 
"  It  ye  do  return  unto  the  Lord  with  all  your  hearts,  then 
put  away  the  strange  gods  and  Ashtaroth  from  among 
you,  and  prepare  your  hearts  unto  the  Lord,  and  serve 
him  only ;  and  he  will  deliver  you  out  of  the  hand  of 
the  Philistines  "  (7  :  3).  "  Then  the  children  of  Israel 
did  put  away  Baal  and  Ashtaroth,  and  served  the  Lord 
only."  It  was  the  moment  to  strike  for  a  national  ref- 
ormation, and  Samuel  was  too  wise  to  let  it  slip.  So 
he  issued  his  proclamation:  "Gather  all  Israel  to 
Mizpeh  and  I  will  pray  for  you  unto  the  Lord."  They 
came ;  "  they  drew  water  and  poured  it  out  before  the 
Lord  (perhaps  in  symbol  of  broken  hearts  and  flowing 
tears)  ;  and  they  fasted  on  that  day,  and  said  there,  We 
have  sinned  against  Jehovah."  After  this  penitential 
scene,  it  is  said  that  "  Samuel  judged  the  children  of 

Israel  in  Mizpeh." The  Philistines   heard  of  this 

great  convocation  of  Israel,  and  probably  suspecting 
that  it  contemplated  some  general  uprising  against 
themselves,  they  came  up  for  battle.  The  Israelites 
feared  to  face  them,  and  therefore  cried  unto  Samuel: 
"  Cease  not  to  pray  to  the  Lord  our  God  for  us,  that  he 
will  save  us  out  of  the  hand  of  the  Philistines."  Sam- 
uel took  a  sucking  lamb  for  a. whole  burnt-ofiering  and 
cried  to  the  Lord  for  Israel.  The  Lord  heard.  While 
the  sacrifice  was  still  in  progress  the  Philistines  drew 
near,  and  the  Lord  thundered  with  a  great  thunder  that 
day  upon  the  Philistines  and  discomfited  them,  and 
they  were  smitten  before  Israel.  The  men  of  Israel 
took  heart,  rallied,  and  smote  their  enemy  until  they 
came  under  Beth-car.  Samuel  set  up  a  memorial  stone 
and  called  it  "  Eben-ezer  " — stone  of  help,  saying — 
"Hitherto  hath  the  Lord  helped  us."  The  precious 
associations  of  that  memorial  stone  still  abide  with 
God's  people.  The  experiences  of  this  eventful  day 
must  have  been  exoeedingly  wholesome,  religiously  as 
well  as  politically.  They  brought  before  the  nation  a 
present  and  most  precious  testimony  that  God  hears 
prayer,  and  that  piety  toward  God  was  the  salvation 


THE    ORDER   OF    PROPHETS.  Ill 

of  their  country.  How  plainly  they  must  have  seen 
that  if  penitent  toward  God,  they  might  depend  upon 
his  heing  on  their  side  as  toward  their  enemies,  and 
that  the  prayers  of  even  one  good  man  might  bring  the 
agencies  of  heaven  to  their  help  and  paralyze  the  power 
of  even  Philistia's  hosts.  These  were  indeed  moment- 
ous lessons. 

The  events  of  that  day  turned  the  tide  of  political 
prestige  and  power  against  Philistia  for  at  least  the  re- 
maining years  of  Samuel's  administration.  The  cities 
which  they  had  taken  from  Israel  were  recovered,  and 
Israel  had  rest  from  their  hostilities.  Samuel  then 
judged  Israel  peacefully,  administering  justice  by  a 
circuit  court  arrangement,  in  which  his  seats  of  justice 
were  Bethel,  Gilgal,  Mizpeh,  and  Ramah — his  family 
residence  being  at  the  last-named  place.  "  There  he  built 

an  altar  unto  the  Lord." Samuel  had  no  successor  in 

this  one  respect — filling  at  once  the  functions  of  prophet 
and  of  Judge. 

A  man  of  rare  qualities,  of  heart  ever  true  to  God 
and  to  the  work  for  which  God  raised  him  up,  his  name 
was  a  tower  of  strength  to  Israel,  and  his  life  an  era  in 
her  history.  By  him  the  Lord  interposed  to  stem  the 
current  of  religious  and  political  declension  which 
seems  to  have  been  setting  in  with  accumulating  force, 
during  at  least  the  latter  part  of  the  period  of  the 
Judges.  From  the  scanty  records  that  have  come  down 
to  us  it  seems  manifest  that  Samuel  rose  quite  above 
any  of  the  Judges  that  intervened  between  himself 
and  Joshua,  in  the  steadfast  earnestness  of  his  piety ;  in 
his  prominent  influence  upon  the  religious  life  of  the 
nation,  and  especially  in  those  functions  which  per- 
tained to  the  prophetic  office.  His  name  is  naturally 
identified  with  the  rise  of  the  prophetic  order — a  new 
power  which  the  Lord  inaugurated  in  his  person  for  the 
religious  instruction  of  his  people. 

The  Order  oj  Prophets. 

It  is  in  place  here  to  consider  an  event  of  very  grave 
importance  in  the  religious  history  of  God's  people,  viz., 
the  rise  and  development  of  the  order  of  prophets. 

It  is  conceded  that  this  order  properly  began  with 
Samuel.     Let  us  consider  briefly  the  following  points : 


112  THE  ORDER  OF  PROPHETS. 

1.  The  meaning  of  the  term  prophet^  and  the  functions  of 
the  office.  Our  English  word  denotes  primarily  one 
who  foretells  future  events.  The  most  common  He- 
brew term  (nabi)  has  a  broader  signification,  viz.,  one 
who  speaks  for  God,  who  is  in  communication  with 
God,  and  who  receives  from  him  and  bears  to  men  his 
messages.  These  messages  might  or  might  not  bring 
revelations  of  future  events.  It  was  after  God  had 
called  to  Samuel  in  his  sleep  and  revealed  to  him  the 
doom  of  Eli  and  his  house,  and  after  the  declaration — 
"  The  Lord  was  with  him  and  did  let  none  of  his  words 
fall  to  the  ground,"  that  we  read  :  "  All  Israel  from  Dan 
to  Beersheba  knew  that  Samuel  was  established  to  be  a 

prophet  of  the  Lord  "  (1  Sam.  3  :  19,  20). Important 

to  the  sense  of  this  term  "  prophet "  are  Ex.  7 :  1,  and 
4 :  16 :  "I  have  made  thee  (Moses)  a  god  to  Pharaoh ; 
and  Aaron  thy  brother  shall  be  thy  prophet''^ — elsewhere 
expressed — "  thy  mouth  ('  spokesman ')  unto  the  peo- 
ple."    Thus  the  prophet  spake  in  God's  behalf  to  the 

people,  or  as  the  case  might  be,  to  their  king. Note 

also  that  during  the  age  of  Samuel,  the  customary 
designation  was  changed  from  "seer"  to  "prophet"  (1 
Sam.  9 :  9).  The  precise  shade  of  difference  between 
these  terms  is  not  clearly  indicated.  Perhaps  the  name 
"  seer "  (which  English  word  very  correctly  translates 
the  Hebrew)  might  imply  that  his  chief  function  was  to 
fore'sce  ;  and  that  during  Samuel's  age  the  broader  sense 
above  referred  to  became  more  prevalent. 

A  very  common  designation  of  the  prophet  is  "  man 
of  God,"  as  may  be  seen  1  Sam.  2 :  27,  and  9 :  6,  7,  8, 
10,  and  1  Kings  12 :  22,  and  13:  1,  5,  6,  11. 

Of  the  functions  of  their  office — their  professional 
work — we  may  say,  comprehensively,  it  was  moral  in- 
struction^ especially  as  sent  directly  from  God  to  men. 
Their  peculiar  work  was  quite  distinct  from  that  of 
the  priest  who  had  special  charge  of  the  rites  of 
worship— indeed,  of  the  entire  system  of  religious 
service  as  prescribed  through  Moses.  Over  against 
this,  the  prophets  dealt  with  simple  truth.  They 
were  teachers  raised  up  of  God.  They  gave  religious 
counsel  and  sympathy  to  God's  people  in  their  domes- 
tic life,  as  we  may  inter  from  Elisha's  relations  to  the 
woman  of  Shunem  (2  Kings  4 :  8-37).  They  gave 
moral  support  and  special  counsel  to  good  kings.     Gad 


THE   ORDER   OF    PROPHETS.  113 

is  twice  spoken  of  as  "David's  seer"  (2  Sam.  24:  11), 
by  whom  the  Lord  spake  in  the  matter  of  numbering 
the  people  and  the  ensuing  pestilence;  also  in  2  Chron. 
29  :  25,  on  the  subject  of  sacred  psalmody.  Nathan 
appears  as  his  reprover  for  his  one  great  sin  (2  Sam. 
12).  Isaiah  was  a  bosom  friend  of  Hezekiah  (Isa.  37  : 
21,  and  38:  1-8);  Jeremiah,  of  Josiah   (2  Chron.  35: 

25). To   wicked    kings    they  bore   God's    messages 

of  rebuke  and  Avarning,  of  which  we  have  examples 
in  Elijah  and  Ahab  (1  Kings  17:  1,  and  18:  17,  18); 
in  Micaiah  as  toward  Ahab  and  Jehoshaphat  (1  Kings 
22 :  7-28) ;  in  Ahijah  and  Jeroboam  (1  Kings  14).  The 
desolation  that  came  over  the  heart  of  King  Saul  when 
he  found  no  answer  from  the  Lord,  either  by  dreams, 
by  the  Urim,  or  through  God's  prophets,  avails  to 
show  that  the  prophets  were  a  recognized  medium  of 
communicJition  from  God  to  man,  and  we  may  per- 
haps say,  especially  to  the  kings  of  Israel.  In  their 
theocratic  relations  to  God  they  must  have  often  felt 
the  need  of  such  a  medium  between  themselves  and 
the  nation's  Supreme  King. 

They  were  annalists  of  the  nation,  writing  out  more 
or  less  fully  the  history  of  the  kings,  both  of  Judah 
and  of  Israel.  The  names  of  not  less  than  eight  ^^  ap- 
pear as  having  performed  this  service.  See  cases  in 
1  Chron.  29:  29,  30,  where  as  historians  of  David  we 
have  the  names  of  Samuel  the  seer,  Nathan  the 
prophet,  and  Gad  the  seer :  also  2  Chron.  9  :  29,  where 
the  biographers  of  Solomon  are  named — Nathan,  Ahijah, 
and  Iddo,  all  prophets. 

It  scarcely  need  be  said  that  in  later  times  they  not 
only  proclaimed  their  messages  more  or  less  in  public, 
but  committed  them  to  writing,  and  thus  left  to  all 
future  ages  those  sacred  and  priceless  messages  sent  of 
God  to  men  through  their  tongue  and  pen. 

Nor  let  us  omit  to  note  their  useful  and  prominent 
labors  upon  the  psalmody  of  Israel.  In  this  service 
David  himself  appears  as  a  prophet.  With  him  and 
after  him  arose  an  indefinite  number  who  contributed 
religious  songs  for  the  service  of  worship  in  the  great 
congregation.  To  this  order  of  Hebrew  prophets, 
therefore,  is  the  world  indebted  for  the  written  word  of 

■•■  Viz.,  Samuel,  Nathan,    Gad,  Ahijah,  Iddo,  Shemaiah,  Jehu    the 
Bon  of  Hanani,  and  Isaiah. 
6 


114  SCnOOLS  OF   THE   PROPHETS. 

God  as  we  have  it  in  nearly  the  entire  Old  Testament. 
Moses,  one  of  the  most  eminent  of  prophets,  lived  before 
the  order  of  prophets  took  definite  form ;  of  Job  and  of 
the  books  of  Solomon,  it  is  not  in  place  here  to  speak 
particularly.  The  other  books  come  clearly  under  the 
statement  as  above  made. 

2.  The  requisite  training — Schools  of  the  prophets.  Such 
services  demanded  special  qualifications,  both  natural 
and  acquired.  Nothing  can  be  more  obvious  than 
the  necessity  of  a  special  training  for  the  proper 
performance  of  their  varied  and  exceedingly  responsi- 
ble duties.  Therefore,  we  naturally  look  for  some  traces 
of  this  special  culture  and  training;  and  we  find  them 
from  Samuel  and  onward.  The  earliest  appear  in  the 
life  of  Samuel ;  the  most  full  and  decisive,  in  the  his- 
tory of  Elijah  and  Elisha.  The  important  passages  are 
1  Sam.  10:  5-13,  and  19:  20-24,  and  1  Kings*  18:  4,  and 
20:  35,  and  2  Kings  2 :  3-7,  15-18,  and  4 :  38-44,  and  5 : 
22,  and  6 :  1-7,  and  9 :  1-16. 

In  these  passages  from  1  Samuel  his  history  brings  to 
view  a  considerable  number  of  young  prophet-pupils, 
called  "a  company"  (1  Sam.  10:  10),  but  the  sense  of 
this  Hebrew  word  is  rather  that  of  ba7id,  a  body  of  men 
closely  affiliated.  In  1  Sam.  19 :  20,  another  Hebrew 
word  for  company  occurs,  found  here  only,  but  by  gen- 
eral consent  of  critics  meaning  a  troop  or  affiliated  body 

of  man. Noticeably  it  is  said  that  "  Samuel  stood  as 

appointed  over  them,"  their  recognized  head  and 
leader,  that  is  to  say,  their  professor,  their  prophet- 
father. 

Two  other  points  come  to  view  in  this  second  passage 
from  Samuel  respecting  this  group  of  prophet-pupils 
and  their  religious  father.  One  relates  to  the  word 
"  Naioth,"  taken  by  our  English  translators  as  the 
name  of  a  place.  But  the  current  of  recent  opinion  sets 
strongly  toward  the  sense — the  college  buildings  in 
Ramah  —  the  group  of  dwellings  in  Ramah.  (See 
Fuerst's  Lexicon,  and  the  Speaker's  Commentary.) 
The  reader  may  notice  that  four  times  in  close  succes- 
sion we  have  in  our  English  version,  "  Naioth  in 
Ramah,"  while  in  v.  18,  it  is  equally  plain  that  Naioth 
and  Ramah  can  not  be  difierent  cities,  but  the  one  must 
somehow  be  included  in  the  other.  The  Hebrew  word 
"  naioth  "  means  habitations,  dwellings — a  noun  in  tho 


SCHOOLS   OF   THE    PROPHETS.  115 

feminine  plural.  No  traces  of  a  place  bearinp;  this  geo- 
graphical name  have  ever  come  to  light.  We  have, 
therefore,  a  reasonable  certainty  that  the  word  here 
means  the  buildings  fitted  up  for  Samuel's  college  of 
prophet-pupils.  That  these  schools  of  the  prophets  had 
sp.ecial  buildings  for  their  accommodation  is  not  only 
inferrible  from  the  necessities  of  the  case,  but  is  touch- 
ingly  indicated  (2  Kings  6:  1-7)  where  we  read  that 
"  the  sons  of  the  prophets  "  came  to  Elisha  to  say  that 
their  accommodations  for  students'  rooms  were  too 
strait,  and  proposing  to  go  to  Jordan  and  its  timbered 
bottoms,  and  take  thence  every  man  his  beam  [pole], 
and  fit  up  more  such  humble  accommodations  for  their 
shelter.  He  said,  "  go  ; "  but  they  quietly  suggest  that 
he  go  with  them ;  and  like  a  true  and  faithful  father- 
prophet,  he  went.  It  was  fortunate  that  he  did  ;  for  so 
he  was  on  hand  to  bring  the  iron  ax-head  to  the  sur- 
face when  by  accident  it  had  sprung  from  its  helve  and 
fallen  into  the  Jordan.  The  cry — "  Alas,  master,  for  it 
was  begged" — brought  Elisha's  miracle-working  power 
at  once  to  their  aid.  They  were  too  poor  to  buy  their 
axes.  This  man  had  to  beg  his — ask  it  as  the  Hebrew 
signifies — yet  never  in  the  sense  of  borrow.  It  is  the 
word  used  in  the  history  (Ex.  3 :  22,  and  11  :  2)  of  the 
Israelites  asking  jewels  and  goods  of  the  Egyptians— 
which  was  by  no  means  "borrowing."  All  in  all,  this 
is  a  very  pleasant  inside  view  of  college  life  in  those 
ancient  schools  of  the  prophets — antedating  by  a  few 
thousand  years  the  experiences  of  some  prophet-schools 
of  our  age  which  have  struggled  upward  from  the 
humblest  beginnings  amid  many  privations,  and  not  a 
little  morally  wholesome  manual  toil,  and  occasionally 
some  cheering  tokens  of  a  helping  power  frorn  above. 
We  will,  therefore,  recognize  in  our  English  ver- 
sion—"Naioth  in  Ramah  "—really  the  college  dwellings 
in  Ramah — as  the  earliest  scriptural  notice  of  the  exist- 
ence of  a  Theological  College. 

3.  Miisic  and  the  spirit  of  pi'ophesying.  While  yet  these 
two  passages  from  1  Samuel  (that  oif  chap.  10  and  this 
from  chap.  19)  are  before  us,  let  another  incident  be 
noted.  We  first  see  a  company  of  prophets  coming 
down  from  the  "high  place  "'(10  :  5,  6)  where  nrobably 
they  had  been  engaged  in  worship.  Moving  to  the 
music  of  psaltery,  tabret,  pipe  and  harp,  the  prophetic 


116  MUSIC  AND  THE  SPIRIT  OF  PROPHESYING. 

afflatus  falls  upon  them ;  they  prophesy ;  and  the  scene 
becomes  so  inspiring,  the  S3'mpathies  of  men  so  moved 
go  forth  with  such  power  upon  other  souls,  that  even 
Saul    catches    the     inspiration    and    he    prophesies! 
More  extraordinary  still  is  the  second  narrative  (chap. 
19 :  18-24),  for   here    Saul,  like  his  namesake    in   the 
gospel  history,  comes  "breathing  out  threatening  and 
slaughter  "  against  the  youthful  and  innocent  David. 
First,    his    "messengers,"    his    armed    "posse"  —  the 
king's  royal  executioners — men  doubtless  of  iron  nerVe 
and  of  fearless  brute  courage — come  within  the  range 
of  this  prophetic  afflatus.     We  read — "  When  they  saw 
the   company  of   prophets   prophesying    and    Samuel 
standing  as  appointed  over  them,  the  Spirit  of  God  was 
upon  the  messengers,  and  they  also  prophesied."     This 
is   reported  to  Saul,  and,  with  mingled  astonishment 
and  mortification,  he  resolves  to  try  again,  and  there^ 
fore  sends  other  messengers  the  second  and  the  third 
time — with  only  the  same  result.     Then  what  can  he 
do  but  go  himself?     He   goes,  and  lo,  even  Saul  also 
prophesies ! Now,  were  these  results  purely  miracu- 
lous, and   quite  independent  of  known    pS3^chological 
law?     Or  was  there  blended  with  this  prophetic  affla- 
tus a  joint  operation  of  the  power  of  music  and  of  the 
law  of  mutual  sympathy  by  which  mind  acts  powerfully 
upon  mind?    To  admit  some  power  of  the  latter  sort  by 
no  means  precludes  the  divine  hand.    God's  Spirit  (then 
as  now  and  ever)  may  have  worked  in  harmony  with 
the  laws  of  mind — since  God  constructed  the  human 
mind  to  be  moved  by  his  own  manifested  presence  and 
revealed  truth  in  connection  with  music  and  the  law  of 
sympathy.    It  is  clear  that  a  very  close  relation  existed 
between  music,  especially  instrumental  music,  and  that 
mental  and  spiritual  exaltation,  coupled  with  earnest, 
impassioned  utterances  which  are  expressed  by  the  word 
"prophesy."     It  would  seem  that  the  utterances  made 
under  this  spirit  of  prophecy  might  or  might  not  be 
predictions  of  future  events.     In  some  cases  they  were, 
and  in  other  cases  apparently  were  not.     The  remark- 
able relation  of  music  to  this  prophetic  state  is  strongly 
suggested  in  the  passage  from  Samuel  which  we  have 
been  considering.    It  was  while  they  were  coming  down 
from  the  high  place  with  the  music  of  instruments  that 
the  young  prophets  prophesied  and  that  Saul  caught 


MUSIC   AND  THE  SPIRIT  OF  PROPHESYING.  117 

the  inspiration.  The  same  connection  appears  in  strong 
light  in  1  Chron.  25  :  1-3,  6,  in  which  the  sons  of  Asaph, 
tieman,  and  Jeduthun  are  said  "  to  prophesy  with  harps, 
with  psalteries,  and  with  cymbals;"  "who  prophesied 
according  to  the  order  of  the  king;  "  "  who  prophesied 
wath  a  harp,  to  give  thanks  and  to  praise  the  Lord  : " 
"all  these  were  under  the  hands  of  their  father  for  song 
in  the  house  of  the  Lord  with  cymbals,  psalteries,  and 
harps  for  the  service  of  the  house  of  God,"  etc.  This 
stated  service  of  song  for  thanksgiving  and  praise  was 

expressed  by  the  term  "  prophesy." For  yet  another 

illustration  of  the  presence  of  music  in  the  loftiest  songs 
of  praise,  see  the  exercises  when  David  brought  the  ark 
into  his  royal  city  (1  Chron.  13 :  8,  and  2  Sam.  6 :  5)  : 
"David  and  all  Israel  played  before  God  with  all  their 
might,  and  with  singing,  and  with  harps,  and  with 
psalteries  "  etc. 

4.  The  localities  of  these  schools  of  the  prophets. — 
In  the  history  of  Samuel  we  find  them  at  Gibeah 
and  at  Ramah ;  Gibeah,  the  home  of  Saul,  and  Ramah, 
of  Samuel.  The  mention  of  Gibeah  in  the  English 
version  is  obscured  by  translating  it  as  a  common, 
not  a  proper  noun — once  (1  Sam.  10.  5)  "the  hill  of 
God,"  instead  of  Gibeah  of  God — the  name  of  God 
being  attached  probably  on  account  of  its  being  con- 
secrated as  a  place  of  worship ;  and  in  another  case 
(v.  10)   simply  "the  hill"  instead  of  Gibeah.     That 

this  place  was  Saul's  city  appears  from  v.   11. To 

the  school  (college)  in  Ramah  Ave  have  seen  references 
in  1  Sam.  19 :  18-24. 

Under  Elisha  we  find  these  schools  at  Gilgal  (2 
Kings  2  :  1,  and  4 :  38-44) ;  at  Bethel  (2  Kings  2 :  3) ; 
at  Jericho  (2  Kings  2 :  5,  15,  16)  ;  and  perhaps  on  Mt. 
Ephraim,  since  Gehazi  (2  Kings  5 :  22)  said  (truly  or 
otherwise)  that  two  young  men,  sons  of  the  prophets, 
had  come  to  him  from  that  place. 

5.  Number  of  students. — We  read  of  one  hundred  at 
Gilgal  (2  Kings  4 :  43) ;  of  fifty  at  Jericho  in  the  ac- 
count of  the  ascension  of  Elijah  (2  Kings  2 :  16). 
During  the  reign  of  Ahab,  Obadiah  shielded  from  the 
vengeance  of  Jezebel  one  hundred  prophets  in  two 
companies  of  fifty  each,  feeding  them  with  bread  and 
water  in  a  cave.  It  is  merely  probable  (not  certain) 
that  these  men  were  taken  in  a  body,  and,  therefore, 


118  SCHOOLS   OF   THE   PROPHETS. 

may  have  been  residing  together  in  their  prophet- 
college.  So  many  God  providentially  rescued  from 
Jezebel  for  future  service. 

6.  The  question  naturally  arises,  How  were  these 
schools  of  the  pro2')hets  supported  ?  Their  prophet-ftithers — 
how  did  they  get  their  bread,  and  shelter,  and  clothing? 
And  the  young  men ;  how  were  they  fed  (the  first  ne- 
cessity), and  how  sheltered  and  clad? 

In  the  outset  we  may  dismiss  all  thought  of  palatial 
buildings,  amply  endowed  professorships,  and  charity 
funds  for  the  support  of  students.  [I  make  this  re- 
mark with  not  the  least  purpose  of  disparaging  the 
more  costly  appliances  of  modern  times  for  similar 
services.]  There  is  no  hint  that  the  wealth  which 
came  into  David's  hands  from  the  spoiling  of  his  van- 
quished enemies,  or  the  yet  more  abundant  riches  of 
Solomon,  went  into  this  channel  of  benevolence.  The 
temple  and  the  vastly  expensive  ritualities  of  the  Mo- 
saic worship  drew  from  these  sources  largely ;  but  we 
read  of  no  buildings,  endowments,  or  other  charitable 
aid  for  the  schools  of  the  prophets,  coming  from  the 
treasures  of  either  David  or  Solomon.  Less  expended 
on  the  temple  and  its  sacrifices,  and  more  upon  these 
ministries  that  bore  more  directly  upon  the  truly  relig- 
ious life,  would  certainly  seem  to  us  a  wiser  distribu- 
tion. But  it  pleased  God,  so  far  as  we  may  judge  from 
his  direction,  whether  through  his  providences  or 
through  his  prophets,  to  expend  immensely  upon  the 
former,  and  very  sparingly,  if  at  all,  upon  the  latter. 
It  may  fitly  be  considered,  however,  that  the  reigns  of 
David  and  Solomon  were  the  golden  age  of  the  Mosaic 
system;  and,  therefore,  this  system  naturally  attracted 
most  of  the  religious  thought  and  effort  of  the  times. 
The  schools  of  the  prophets  are  not  even  noticed  dur- 
ing those  otherwise  memorable  reigns. 

Returning  to  our  theme,  the  few  notices  we  find  (e. 
(J.)  in  the  history  of  Elisha,  touching  the  questions  of 
finance,  subsistence,  and  the  comforts  of  life  generally, 
bf.'token  poverty  of  resources,  an  average  straitness, 
with  occasionally  pinching  want,  sometimes  relieved 
by  miracle.  It  may  be  questionable  how  far  we  are 
authorized  to  draw  general  conclusions  from  special 
cases  of  distress  in  a  country  subject  like  theirs  to 
dearth  and  consequent  famine.     These  cases,  however, 


SCHOOLS  OF  THE  PROPHETS.  119 

(sucli  as  that  in  2  Kings  4 :  38-44)  show  that  they  had 
no  invested  funds  to  fall  back  upon — no  fixed  sources 
of  supply,  good  for  bridging  over  a  season  of  dearth. 
The  temporary  relief  brought  by  the  man  from  Baal- 
shalisha — some  ''  bread  of  the  first-fruits ;  twenty  loaves 
of  barley,"  etc. — suggest  how  these  schools  were  some- 
times relieved  from  pinching  want;  albeit  even  this 
seemed  very  insignificant  to  set  before  one  hundred 
very  hungry  men.  But  Elisha's  miracle-working  power 
had  been  drawn  upon  before  to  augment  little  into 
much;  and  it  availed  here. 

We  have  already  seen  (in  2  Kings  6.:  1-7)  that  the 
"  rooms  "  at  one  of  these  colleges  (probably  the  one  at 
Jericho,  that  being  near  the  Jordan)  were  very  limited, 
and  that  the  young  men  took  axes — one  of  them  had  to 
beg  his — and  went  to  the  Jordan  valley  for  poles  to  put 
up  what  must  have  been  at  best  a  very  rude  structure 
to  live  in.  We  have  also  a  very  touching  case  of  want 
brought  to  the  knowledge  of  Elisha  by  the  widow  of 
one  of  these  students.  She  cried  out  to  him  :  "  Thy 
servant,  my  husband,  is  dead;  and  thou  knowest  that 
thy  servant  did  fear  the  Lord ;  and  the  creditor  is 
come  to  take  unto  him  my  two  sons  to  be  bondmen  '^ 

(2  Kings  4 :  1-6). Here  was  a  prophet-student  with 

a  young  family.  It  is  not  said  that  hardships  hastened 
his  death — but  he  died — died  young,  and  leaving  his 
estate  in  debt.  The  last  resort  for  the  collection  of 
debts  in  those  days — a  terribly  cruel  and  heartless  one 
— was  to  take  the  debtor,  or  his  wife,  or  his  children,  for 
slaves.  The  widowed  mother's  heart  felt  the  bitterness 
of  this  aflSiction.  Very  properly  she  brought  her  case 
before  Elisha.  Her  provision-stores  were  reduced  to  one 
pot  of  oil — manifestly  a  small  one;  but  according  to 
the  promise  of  Elisha,  and  under  the  miraculous  hand 
of  God,  the  oil-can  kept  pouring  out  oil  till  all  the  ves- 
sels she  had  faith  to  borrow  were  full,  and  then  stayed. 
So  she  paid  her  debts,  kept  her  sons,  and  lived— grate- 
fully, we  must  think — on  the  rest. Let  us  note  also 

that  this  was  a  home  scene,  adapted  for  the  best  home 
influences.  "  When  thou  art  come  in,  thou  shalt  shut 
the  door  upon  thyself  and  thy  sons,  and  shalt  pour  out 
into  all  those  vessels,"  etc. — none  present  save  thyself, 
thy  sons — and  God  ;  and  the  door  shut.  Eyes  that  are 
mainly  curious,  and  tongues  that  are  only  chatty,  might 


120  SCHOOLS  OF  THE  PROPHETS. 

well  be  spared.  God  would  have  those  dear  boys  re- 
member that  flowing  oil  to  the  end  of  their  days.  Let 
us  hope  that  they  did,  and   also  the  great    and   kind 

giver ! The  life-history  of  Elisha  is  remarkably  filled 

with  supernatural  incidents.  Plainly  a  double  portion 
of  the  spirit  of  Elijah  did  rest  on  him,  as  was  promised 
(2  Kings  2 :  9,  10). 

7.  The  question  naturally  arises :  From  what  class  in 
the  community  were  these  prophet-students  drawn  ? 
And  by  ivhat  influences,  and  by  whose  agency,  were  they 
brought  into  these  training  schools? 

On  the  point  first  named  we  have  no  general  state- 
ments— nothing  beyond  a  few  special  cases.  Elisha 
was  called  from  the  plow  (1  Kings  19  :  19-21),  and  from 
a  field  where  twelve  yokes  of  oxen  were  plowing — im- 
plying a  farmer  of  some  means.  Amos  (7 :  14,  15) 
speaks  of  having  been  "a  herdsman,"  "a  gatherer  of 
sycamore  fruit,"  and  also  a  "  shepherd,"  up  to  the  time 
when  the  Lord  called  him  to  go  and  prophesy  unto 
his  people  Israel.  Jeremiah  was  descended  from  the 
priests  in  Anathoth,  and  seems  to  have  been  (as  the 
phrase  is)  "  respectably  connected  "  with  some  of  the 
first  and  best  families  of  Judah,  and  apparently  on  in- 
timate terms  with  Josiah  the  king.  [See  introduction 
to  my  commentary  on  Jeremiah,  pp.  9,  10.]  Ezekiel, 
too,  was  in  his  family  line  a  priest  (Ezek.  1 :  3).  Isaiah, 
whatever  his  ]mrentage,  became  a  special   friend  and 

counselor  of   the  good  Ilezekiah. Beyond  these  few 

special  cases  I  am  not  aware  that  anything  certain  can 
be  known. 

On  the  question  —  How  and  by  what  agencies  were 
these  young  men  brought  into  these  schools  —  the  rec- 
ord is  not  by  any  means  full;  yet  there  are  some  facts 
bearing  on  the  point.  Samuel's  case  is  given  in  ample 
detail.  The  voice  of  the  Lord  fell  on  his  ear  —  the 
inner  rather  than  the  outer  ear  probably  —  for  no  one 
other  than  himself  seems  to  have  heard  it.  Elijah 
called  Elisha  (as  we  have  seen),  yet  plainly  God's  voice 
also  was  felt  to  be  in  the  call.  Elijah's  agency  was 
quite  like  that  of  his  Lord,  long  after,  in  calling  the  two 
sons  of  Zebedee  and  Matthew  the  publican.  Several 
of  the  prophets  who  have  left  us  their  writings  have 
left  in  them  some  allusion  to  their  special  call  to  the 
prophetic  work,  e.  g.,  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  Amos,  Jonah. 


SCHOOLS   OF   THE   PR0PHET3.  121 

The  numerous  cases  in  which  God  assigned  to  these 
prophets  some  special  service  by  means  of  a  special 
call,  strongly  support  the  opinion  that  we  must  allow 
a  large  place  to  the  immediate  call  of  God  impressed 
upon  their  souls,  to  bring  them  into  these  schools  of 
the  prophets,  and  to  prepare  them  thus  for  any  future 
work  tiie  Lord  might  have  for  them  to  do.  Yet  this 
view  of  the  case  will  not  rule  out  the  personal  agency 
of  Samuel  and  of  Elisha  in  drawing  young  men  under 
their  instruction.  They  may  have  been  guided  of  the 
Lord  specially  in  their  selection.,  or  they  may  have  made 
large  use  of  their  own  judgment  and  knowledge  of  men. 
Any  prophet-father  (in  that  age  or  in  this)  who  walks 
with  God,  and  seeks  divine  guidance  in  a  matter  of 
such  responsibility,  need  not  fear  that  God  will  with- 
hold it.  This  is  one  department  of  that  wisdom  which 
if  a  man  consciously  lacks,  let  him  ask  of  God  who 
"  gives  liberally,  upbraiding  not "  (James  1  : 5). 

8.  If  the  further  question  be  raised  as  to  their  college 
duties,  their  course  of  study,  text-books,  methods 
of  study  and  training  —  it  is  easy  to  say  that  the 
Hebrew  scriptures,  so  far  as  then  extant,  must  have 
been  chiefly  their  text-books.  Fortunately  for  us,  the 
writings  of  the  prophets  evince  such  familiarity  with 
the  previously  written  scriptures  as  can  leave  no  doubt 

on  this  point. As  has  been  already  suggested,  some 

place  must  be  assigned  for  culture  in  music  and  for 
exercises  in  sacred  song.  Skill  in  music  never  comes 
without  culture  and  somewhat  extended  practice,  of 
which  in  their  case  we  have  some  testimony  on  record 
(c.  g.,  1  Chron.  25 : 7) ;  "  The  number  of  them "  [the 
families  of  Asaph,  Heman,  and  Jeduthun]  "with  their 
brethren  that  were  instructed  in  the  songs  of  the  Lord, 
even  all  that  were  cunning"  [skilled],  "  was  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty-eight."  Out  of  these  families  arose 
several  men  whose  culture  and  training,  of  the  sort 
given  in  the  schools  of  the  prophets,  were  such  that 
they  became  authors  of  a  considerable  number  of  the 
Psalms  that  have  come  down  to  us  in  the  Psalter. 

Moreover,  the  fathers  who  presided  in  these  schools 
were  men  of  large  experience  in  the  prophetic  life. 
Samuel's  history  is  full  of  instructive  and  thrilling 
events.  So  was  that  of  Elisha.  God  was  near  to  those 
holy  men,  often  manifesting  his  special  presence  and 


122  SCHOOLS   OF   THE   PROPHETS. 

his  miraculous  gifts.  From  time  to  time  some  special 
service  would  devolve  by  the  call  of  God  uj^on  some  of 
these  sons  of  the  prophets— a  case  in  point  appearing 
in  2  Kings  9,  where  Elisha  sent  one  of  them  to 
anoint  Jehu. 

The  fiict  that  some  of  them  became  the  annalists  and 
historians  of  the  nation  involves  the  study  of  their 
nation's  past  history  to  some  extent,  and  certainly  a 
careful  study  of  recent  and  present  history.  Those  who 
became  writers  of  prophetical  books  most  obviously 
must  have  had  some  training  and  culture  preparatory 
to  this  work  of  authorship,  not  only  to  gain  the  manual 
skill  of  writing  (chirography),  but  practice  in  compo- 
sition, and  the  power  to  express  thought  and  to  relate 
facts  with  clearness,  beauty,  and  force.  Such  qualities 
they  certainly  had;  and  their  possession,  then  as  now, 
presupposes  culture  and  training. 

How  long  their  course  of  study  and  training  was  we 
have  no  data  whatever  for  deciding  beyond  what  we 
know  of  the  average  time  requisite  in  all  ages  to  acquire 
such  an  education  as  those   prophets  manifestly  had. 

It  is  not  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  every  man 

graduated  when  God  called  him  away  into  some  field  of 
active  service. 

The  circumstances  in  the  age  of  Elijah  and  Elisha 
which  manifestly  called  for  and  developed  a  very  large 
increase  in  the  number  of  these  schools  and  of  their 
pupils,  we  shall  study  to  better  advantage  when  the 
history  of  those  times  shall  come  fully  before  us.  We 
now  return  to  the  age  of  Samuel  to  resume  at  that  point 
the  thread  of  Hebrew  history. 


SAUL  AND   THE   MONARCHY.  123 

CHAPTER  YI. 

Saul  and  the  rise  of  the  Monarchy, 

Old  age  had  come  upon  Samuel ;  his  two  sons,  pro- 
moted to  civil  responsibilities,  had  not  borne  their 
honors  nor  their  responsibilities  well.  It  is  said  of  them 
briefly  that  they  "did  not  walk  in  the  ways  of  their 
father,"  but  "  took  bribes  and  perverted  judgment."  The 
people  were  dissatisfied,  and  not  unnaturally  thought 
that  any  change  would  be  improvement.  The  elders, 
acting  as  usual  for  the  whole  people,  came  together  and 
said  to  Samuel,  "  Now  make  us  a  king  to  judge  us,  that 
we  may  be  like  all  the  nations  "  (8:5).  Subsequently 
they  gave  their  reasons  more  in  full  (vs.  19,  20) ;  "  That 

our  king  may  go  out  before  us  and  fight  our  battles." 

Other  nations  on  every  side — the  Philistines,  the  Hit- 
tites,  Syria,  Ammon,  Modb,  and  Edom — seemed  to  them 
prosperous  and  strong  under  their  kings.  So,  overlook- 
ing the  fact  that  the  Lord  was  their  King,  or,  at  least, 
making  far  too  little  account  of  it,  they  thought  to  rival 
their  neighbors  to  better  purpose  if  they  too  had  a  king. 
It  is  not  altogether  strange  that  the  experience  of  sev- 
eral hundred  years  under  the  judges  and  without  any 
judge  should  have  made  this  political  reasoning  seem 
to  them  plausible.  Their  mistake  had  its  roots  in  their 
leaving  God  out  of  the  account  and  in  overlooking  their 
peculiar  relations  to  him  as  their  Sovereign,  Redeemer, 
and  Father. 

Samuel  was  not  pleased  with  their  request,  and  there- 
fore turned  to  the  Lord  in  prayer.  The  Lord  also  was 
displeased  with  the  sjnrit  of  the  people.  Their  motives 
were  by  no  means  grateful  to  his  mind;  yet,  appar- 
ently, he  was  not  averse  to  this  proposed  change  in  the 
form  of  the  national  government.  There  were  some 
good  reasons  for  the  change.  The  tribes  of  Israel, 
whether  considered  politically  or  religiously,  needed 
more  consolidation.  Their  national  experience,  from 
Joshua  to  Samuel,  bore  this  testimony.  In  the  midst 
of  so  many  powerful  enemies,  the  most  eftective  union 
would  give  them  none  too  much  strength.     And  it  had 


124  SAUL   AND   THE    MONARCHY. 

become  manliest  that  the  Mosaic  religious  sj^stem 
needed  for  its  best  results  a  great  national  capital  which 
might  become  the  religious  as  well  as  the  political  cen- 
ter of  the  whole  people.  As  already  suggested,  the 
experience  of  several  hundred  years,  since  Joshua,  had 
been  impressing  this  lesson  (we  must  presume)  on  the 
sagacious  minds  among  the  elders  of  Israel.  Yet, 
according  to  the  record,  the  more  worldly  consideration 
of  being  like  the  nations  round  about  them  lay  in  the 
foreground  of  their  thought  and  of  their  petition. 

It  is  well  to  notice  the  sagacity  (whether  in  its  ori- 
gin human  or  divine)  with  which  Samuel  first  met 
their  request.  Ye  ask  (he  said  to  the  people)  for  a 
king?  But  have  ye  well  considered  what  a  king  would 
cost  you?  Roj^alty  is  an  expensive  luxury.  Your  king 
must  have  his  court,  his  retinue  of  servants,  a  costly 
table,  and  the  most  sumptuous  surroundings.  Have  ye 
duly  considered    that   more    government   implies  less 

personal  liberty  for  the  individual? So  Samuel  told 

them  how  the  king  would  take  for  his  use  their  noblest 
sons  and  fairest  daughters ;  their  best  fields  and  most 
desirable  possessions  —  until  they  would  cry  out  under 
his  extortions  and  find  no  response  from  the  Lord  to 
their  cry.  Yet  still  they  persisted  in  their  demand  for 
a  king;  and  the  Lord  yielded. 

In  chap.  9 :  17,  the  word  chosen  for  the  sense  of  reign 
over  this  people  has  normally  the  meaning  restrain — a 
thought  which  the  Lord  takes  pains  to  impress  upon 
the  people. 

The  manner  in  which  Saul — the  Lord's  choice  for 
their  first  king — was  brought  before  Samuel  appears  in 
1  Sam.  9;  while  in  chap.  10  we  see  him  brought  into 
contact  with  the  young  prophets  of  Samuel's  school, 
and  ultimately  before  the  whole  people  assembled  at 
Mizpeh. 

Saul — of  the  small  tribe  of  Benjamin — a  tribe  made 
smaller  by  the  fearful  scenes  narrated  Judges  20  and  21 
— was  of  tall,  commanding  person,  and,  as  he  first 
appears  in  the  history,  of  rather  prepossessing  modesty. 
Sent  from  home  with  a  single  servant  in  pursuit  of  his 
father's  lost  asses,  they  traveled  till  their  provisions 
were  spent  and  till  they  came  into  the  vicinity  of  Sam- 
uel's residence,  "Zuph  "  (v.  5),  which  we  must  identify 
with  llamathaim-zophim,   the   place   of   SamueFs   na- 


SAUL  AND   THE   MONARCHY.  125 

tivity.  Here,  remarkably,  it  comes  to  light  that  Saul's 
servant  knows  more  of  Samuel  than  Saul  himself — not 
the  only  case  in  which  servants  have  known  more  of 
God  and  of  godly  men  than  their  masters.  The  little 
Hebrew  maid-servant  in  Naaman's  slave-quarters  helped 
him  to  a  similar  knowledge  of  Elisha,  and  consequently 
to  a  cure  from  his  terrible  leprosy.  Saul's  servant  said : 
Just  by  us  here  in  this  city  lives  a  man  of  God  who 
can  doubtless  tell  us  about  our  asses.  Saul  replied :  We 
have  nothing  for  a  present,  and  how  can  we  call  on 
him  without  ?  But  the  servant  is  equal  to  this  emer- 
gency:  a  quarter  shekel  in  his  pocket  will  suffice. 
They  found  Samuel,  and  it  came  out  that  the  Lord's 
hand  had  been  shaping  this  whole  movement.  He 
had  whispered  it  in  Samuel's  ear  the  day  before  that 
the  king  elect  was  coming,  and  that  he  must  Hrst  en- 
tertain him  at  the  religious  festival  then  pending,  and 
afterward  in  a  private  way  anoint  him  king.  Then  in 
chap.  10  we  read  what  signs  Samuel  gave  him  to  assure 
him  that  this  anointing  was  certainly  from  God;  how 
well  he  kept  his  secret;  how  he  returned  to  his  own 
city  Gibeah — a  place  mostly  concealed  from  the  English 
reader  by  the  mistranslation  which  gives  it  "the  hill" 
instead  of  Gibeah  in  both  vs.  5  and  10,  and  only  in  v. 

26  the  true  translation,  "Gibeah." Of   his  contact 

with  the  prophesying  band  of  young  prophets  enough 
has  been  said  in  connection  with  the  schools  of  the 
prophets. 

Shortly  the  people  are  convened  at  Mizpeh,  and  by 
means  of  the  sacred  lot  the  tribe  of  Benjamin  first,  and 
ultimately  Saul  himself  is  brought  out  as  the  divinely 
chosen  king  for  Israel.  For  himself  he  knew  before- 
hand what  the  issue  would  be.  Shrinking  from  the 
responsibility,  or  overcome  by  modest  diffidence,  he  hid 
himself  among  the  baggage  (10 :  22)  brought  together 
by  the  assembled  thousands  of  Israel.  It  was  only  the 
all-seeing  eye  of  God  that  disclosed  his  hiding-place. 
When  his  noble  form  appeared  the  people  greeted  him 
with  the  shout,  then  heard  for  the  first  time  among  the 

tribes — "  God  save  the  king." Here  again,  and  more 

fully  than  before  (1  Sam.  8:  11-18),  Samuel  told  the 
people  "  the  manner  of  the  kingdom,"  and  "  wrote  it  in 
a  book  and  laid  it  up  before  the  Lord"  (v.  25).  "  The 
manner  of  the  king  "  as  explained  to  the  people  on  the 


126  THE  KINGDOM  RENEWED  TO  SAUL. 

former  occasion  gave  them  one  side  of  the  case — the 
license  he  would  take  to  make  exactions  upon  them  of  all 
best  things  for  his  royal  state ;  but  here  "  the  manner  of 
the  kingdom^^  seems  rather  to  mean  the  royal  charter  or 
constitution  according  to  which  he  was  to  administer 
the  government  under  Jehovah  their  Supreme  King. 
Inasmuch  as  the  Lord  had  anticipated  this  very  result — 
the  demand  and  necessity  for  a  king — and  had  provided 
for  it  in  the  civil  code  given  through  Moses  (see  Deut. 
17  :  14-20),  it  can  scarcely  be  doubted  that  this  chapter 
of  restrictions  and  regulations  was  precisely  the  royal 
charter  which  Samuel  rehearsed  on  this  occasion  to  the 
people  and  wrote  it  in  the  book  (so  the  Hebrew),  and 
placed  it  in  the  national  archives.  Among  other  things 
it  provided  that  the  king  should  have  a  copy  of  "  this 
law  "  for  his  special  use,  that  he  might  consult  it  daily 
in  person  and  guide  his  administration  by  it  through 
all  his  life. 

After  this  ratification  the  people  dispersed  to  their 
homes,  a  few  only  whose  hearts  the  Lord  had  touched 
going  with  their  new  king  to  his  home.  The  bad  men 
(sons  of  Belial)  stood  aloof  and  withheld  both  their  con- 
fidence and  their  gifts.  The  historian  suggests  that 
Saul  took  this  very  quietly — as  said  in  our  version,  "he 
held  his  peace"  (in  Hebrew),  acted  as  one  deaf,  who 
heard  not  their  derisive  words.  It  was  wise  in  him  to 
leave  the  issue  with  the  Lord. 

In  form  the  people  now  have  a  king;  yet  there  was 
need  of  other  influences  to  place  him  high  in  public 
confidence  and  to  give  him  the  royal  state  of  the  mon- 
arch of  Israel.  Events  soon  occurred  which  hastened 
on  these  results,  as  we  see  in  chap.  11. 

The  kingdom  renewed  and  Saul  put  really  at  the  head  of  the 
nation.     (1  Sam.  11.) 

Ammon  on  the  east  of  the  Jordan  was  a  kingdom 
of  considerable  military  power.  Its  king,  Nahash, 
marched  upon  the  two  and  a  half  tribes  on  his  side  of 
the  Jordan  and  laid  siege  to  Jabesh-Gilead— a  city  which, 
as  appears  in  Judges  21,  for  some  reason  sustained  inti- 
mate relations  with  Gibeah  of  Benjamin  the  home  of 
Saul.*    The  forces  of  Nahash   seemed  to  the  men  of 

*  How  these  intimate  relations  commenced  does  not  appear.  The 
men  of  Jabcsh  did  not — probably  would  not— join  in  the  war  of  the 


THE  KINGDOM  RENEWED  TO  SAUL.  127 

Jabesh  resistless.  They,  therefore,  proposed  a  treaty 
under  which  they  expected  only  some  relation  of  servi- 
tude. The  terms  made  by  Nahash  were  that  he  should 
"  thrust  out  [in  Hebrew  bore  out]  every  man's  right  eye, 
and  lay  it  for  a  reproach  upon  all  Israel."  This  was 
not  only  mercilessly  cruel  out  purposely  disgraceful. 
Ammon  retained  for  ages  this  pre-eminent  character  of 
barbarous  cruelty — as  we  may  see  in  Amos  1 :  13-15, 
where  God  annihilated  the  nation  at  last  because  of 
their  heartless  violation  of  the  dictates  of  common  hu- 
manity.  The  men  of  Jabesh  were  in  deep  trouble. 

They  asked  seven  days,  ostensibly  for  consideration — 
really  for  an  effort  to  secure  help  from  their  brethren 
across  the  Jordan.  Their  messengers  came  naturally 
(providentially  too)  to  Gibeah,  not  it  would  seem 
because  king  Saul  was  there,  for  "they  told  their 
tidings  in  the  ears  of  all  the  people,"  and  Saul  seems 
to  have  heard  the  story  casually  (as  any  other  man  of 
Gibeah  might)  when  he  came  in  from  after  his  herd  in 
the  field.  But  the  tidings  fired  up  his  soul ;  "  the  spirit 
of  the  Lord  came  upon  him ; "  he  hewed  his  yoke  of 
oxen  into  pieces  and  sent  them  by  the  hand  of  his  own 
messengers  over  all  Israel,  summoning  the  men  of  war 
to  his  army  headquarters  in  Bezek. 

The  method  of  this  summons  followed  somewhat  the 
one  adopted  in  the  scenes  narrated  Judges  19 :  29,  30. 
The  fear  of  the  Lord  fell  on  the  people,  and  330,000  men 
rushed  to  the  rendezvous  ready  for  war.  In  the  result 
the  army  of  Nahash  was  thoroughly  routed — indeed  so 
utterly  that  no  two  men  were  left  together.  Jabesh- 
Gilead  was  saved;  and,  not  least,  Saul  was  brought  be- 
fore the  people  as  their  hero,  their  king,  owned  of  God, 
and  competent  to  lead  their  armies  on  to  glorious  vic- 
tory. It  was  the  moment  for  renewing  the  kingdom  to 
Saul ;  so  Samuel  leads  the  whole  army  to  Gilgal  where 
they  performed  the  services  of  a  solemn  inauguration ; 
sacrificed  their  peace-offerings  before  the  Lord  and  re- 
joiced with  great  joy.  Saul  was  now  king  of  Israel 
indeed,  with  all  the  prestige  for  a  successful  reign  that 
any  monarch  could  desire. 

tribes  upon  Benjamin.  Consequently  they  suffered  under  a  like 
fearful  devastation  of  judgment  (.Judges  21 :  10,  11),  and  in  the  result 
400  of  their  virgin  daughters  became  mothers  of  the  future  Benja- 
mites — a  fact  which  sufficiently  accounts  for  the  close  relationship 
indicated  here  between  Jabesh  and  Gibeah. 


128  SAMUEL  AND  THE  PEOPLE  OF  ISRAEL. 

Let  US  note  some  additional  particulars. Jabesh 

Gilead  was  nearly  twenty  miles  south  of  the  Lake  of 
Tiberias,  and  less  than  half  that  distance  east  of  the 
Jordan.  Bezek  is  supposed  to  have  been  near  Beth- 
shean,  and  over  against  Jabesh -Gilead  (the  Jordan 
valley  lying  between),  and  distant  probably  fifteen  or 
twenty  miles.  A  rapid  night  march  brought  them 
near  Jabesh-Gilead  at  the  morning  watch.  There 
dividing  his  army  into  three  companies,  Saul  seems  to 
have  surrounded  and  surprised  his  enemy. 

The  clemency  with  which  Saul  met  the  demand  of 
the  people  for  the  slaughter  of  those  sons  of  Belial  who 
said,  *'  Saul  shall  not  reign,"  was  every  way  admirable. 
We  put  it  among  the  best  features  of  Saul's  character 
and  reign. 

SamueVs  Last  Words  to  the  Peoijle. 

In  chap.  12  a  moral  exhortation  by  Samuel  follows 
the  political  ratification  or  renewal  of  the  kingdom  to 

Saul — at  once  timely  and   pertinent. In  v.  2,  the 

reason  for  alluding  to  his  sons  as  being  there  with  the 
people  is  not  altogether  apparent.  Was  it  a  hint  that 
they  had  been  passed  by  in  the  choice  of  Saul  for  king, 
or  a  suggestion  that  if  the  people  had  any  more  public 
service  for  them  they  were  on  hand;  or  if  there  was  a 
demand  for  investigation   into  their  official   conduct, 

they  w'ere   present? V.  3  is  a  tacit  allusion  to  the 

charge  of  bribery  brought  against  his  sons — as  if  he 
would  say:  Whoever  else  is  guilty,  I  take  you  to 
record  that  I  am  not.  I  wash  my  hands  before  the 
nation.       If  my  sons  are   guilty,  it   is  not  that  they 

have  followed  my  example  or  my  counsel. In  v.  6, 

the  Heb.  word  for  "  advanced  "  has  commonly  the  sense 
made — meaning  here,  he  made  them  what  they  became ; 
gave  them  their  high  distinction  as  his  servants. 

In  the  brief  and  rapid  sketch  (vs.  9-11)  of  their 
nation's  history  from  Joshua  to  that  time,  it  can  not  be 
assumed  that  Samuel  touched  the  great  characters  dur- 
ing the  period  of  the  Judges  in  their  chronological 
order.     The  order  in  the  Book  of  Judges  differs  from 

this,   and    is  more   likely  to  be   correct. In  v.  11, 

Jerubbaal  is  another  name  for  Gideon.  With  great 
probability  "  Bedan  "  is  an  orthographic  error  for  Barak 
— the  last  two  Hebrew  letters  being  easily  mistaken  for 


129 

each  other.  The  invasion  under  Sisera  was  certainly 
before  his  mind  (v.  9),  so  that  the  deliverance  achieved 
by  Barak  could  scarcely  be  omitted.  Moreover,  Barak's 
name   follows  Gideon's  in  Heb.  11 :  32,  which  almost 

quotes  these  words  of  Samuel. In  v.  14,  the  Hebrew, 

closely  translated,  would  read :  "  If  ye  will  fear  the 
Lord  and  serve  him  and  hearken  to  his  voice,  and  not 
rebel  against  the  mouth  [words]  of  the  Lord,  and  if 
both  you  and  your  kin^?  who  reigns  over  you  will  be 
after  the  Lord  your  God" — then  all  well! — these  three 
last  words  being  forcibly  understood  and  implied. 

The  moral  impression  of  this  great  thunder  and  rain 
in  time  of  wheat  harvest  would  be  exceedingly  height- 
ened by  the  fact  that  in  that  climate  neither  is  known 
during  those  weeks.  Jerome,  whose  home  was  there, 
says :  "  I  have  never  seen  rain  in  Judea  in  the  end  of 
June  or  in  July." The  people  saw  that  God  was  dis- 
pleased with  their  request  for  a  king  and  became  sen- 
sible of  their  sin  in  that  request.  With  the  greatest 
confidence  in  Samuel's  prayers  they  beg  his  continued 
intercession  on  their  behalf — a  responsibility  which 
Samuel  could  not  throw  off.  Note  that  Samuel's  hope 
in  God  rests,  not  on  the  merit  or  even  the  penitence  of 
the  people,  but  on  the  Lord's  regard  for  his  own  great 
name ;  for  he  had  committed  himself  to  mercy  toward 
his  people.  This  moral  lesson  is  too  precious  to  be 
overlooked. 

These  are  Samuel's  last  words  spoken  publicly  before 
the  people.  His  record  as  a  thoroughly  godly  man — a 
true  and  representative  prophet,  raised  up  of  God  to  sus- 
tain the  religious  life  of  the  nation — deserves  our  care- 
ful attention.  The  point  that  most  impresses  us  is 
that  in  his  person  mortal  man  stands  so  very  near 
to  God.  We  see  him  continually  made  the  vehicle 
of  communication  from  God  to  men.  Over  against 
this, '  he  bears  up  words  of  prayer  and  of  confession 
from  men  to  God.  The  people  recognize  his  wonder- 
ful power  with  God  in  prayer  and  put  all  confidence 
in  his  success  before  the  throne.  The  time  had  then 
fully  come  in  the  history  of  the  nation  when  there 
was  need  of  such  a  medium  of  words  from  God  to  men, 
and  also  from  men  back  to  God.  Such  men  are  a 
great  moral  power  in  whatever  age  they  appear.  In 
some  vital  respects  they  may  appear  in  any  age — 


130 

known  as  living  near  to  God,  as  taught  of  him,  and 
as  mighty  in  prayer.  Samuel  is  a  model  man  of  this 
class,  well  worthy  to  be  made  a  study  and  an  example. 

SauVs  History. 

The  events  of  1  Sam.  13  are  involved  in  no  small  chron- 
ological perplexity.  Saul  seems  to  have  been  young 
when  made  king ;  but  here  is  his  son  Jonathan  in 
command  of  one  third  of  his  standing  army,  and 
evincing  manly  vigor,  courage,  and  decision.  Saul 
must  have  been  reigning  at  this  point  more  than  three 
years.  Yet  the  English  version  of  v.  1  seems  to  affirm 
that   the  events  of  this   chapter   occurred  during  or 

immediately  after  the  third  year  of  Saul's  reign. V. 

1  presents  several  other  critical  difficulties.  The  Sep- 
tuagint  omits  it  altogether,  apparently  in  despair 
of  making  any  thing  out  of  it.  The  Hebrew  for  the 
first  clause — "Saul  reigned  one  year" — according  to 
universal  and  therefore  decisive  Hebrew  usage,  must 
refer,  not  to  the  duration  of  his  reign,  but  to  his  age 

lohen  he  began  to  reign.     Saul  was   the  son  of years 

in  [at  the  point  of  beginning]  his  reigning.  The  nu- 
meral for  either  twenty  or  thirty  has  probably  dropped 
out,  the  sense  intended  being — Saul  was  twenty  and 
one  3^ears  of  age  (or  thirty  and  one)  when  he  began  to 
reign.  A  similar  omission  is  probable  in  the  second 
clause  :  "  And  when  he  had  reigned  [perhaps]  twenty 
and   two  years  over   Israel,"  these  events  that  follow 

took  place. That  the  Hebrew  text  has  some  errors, 

and  more  especially  in  numerals,  ought  to  be  frankly 
and  fearlessly  admitted.  They  affect  no  important  doc- 
trine or  duty,  and  should  not  mar  our  confidence  in 
the  integrity  of  the  Scriptures  in  all  vital  points  as  a 

revelation  of  God's  character  and  of  human  duty. 

Another  instance  of  numerical  error  must,  I  think,  be  as-, 
sumed  in  v.  5,  where  the  number  of  chariots  is  entirelv 
out  of  proportion.  30,000  should  probably  be  300—300 
chariots  to  6,000  horsemen  being  nearly  the  usual  ratio. 

Saul's  standing  army  stood  at  3,000  men,  two  parts 
being  under  his  immediate  command;  one  part  with 
Jonathan  his  son.  The  Philistines  had  a  garrison  in 
Geba  (the  modern  Jeba),  close  upon  the  northern  bor- 
der of  Benjamin  and  looking  out  northward  upon  the 


JONATHAN.  131 

great  ravine  [the  Wady  Suweinit],  on  the  opposite  side 
of  which  stood  Michmash,  crowning  the  summit  of  the 
opposing  mountain  ridge.  All  suddenly  Jonathan  fell 
upon  this  garrison,  smote  and  dislodged  them.  It  startled 
the  Philistines  as  would  a  clap  of  thunder  from  a  clear 
sky,  and  the  people  of  all  Philistia  seem  to  have  rushed 
to  arms  to  maintain  their  supremacy  and  to  avenge 
themselves  for  this  defeat.  Vs.  19-22  show  that  the 
Philistines  had  managed  to  monopolize  and  control  the 
skill  of  making  and  mending  iron  weapons,  whether  for 
agriculture  or  for  war,  so  that  Israel  in  this  emergency 

had  scarcely  sword  or  spear  in  all  their  army. In 

this  crisis  their  men  were  spiritless  (all  save  Jonathan), 
melting  away  in  panic  before  the  hosts  of  Philistia. 
Saul  was  in  deep  solicitude ;  it  was  his  crisis  of  moral 
trial.  Samuel  had  told  him  to  tarry  seven  days^  till 
himself  should  come,  when  he  would  offer  the  requisite 
sacrifices,  and  seek  help  from  their  God.  Saul  waited 
till  the  morning  of  the  seventh  day;  then,  impatient 
of  Samuel's  delay,  and  lacking  the  repose  of  real  trust 
in  God,  he  ordered  the  sacrifice  to  proceed.  Scarcely 
had  he  finished  when  Samuel  came  up;  rebuked  his 
disregard  of  the  divine  directions  and  his  lack  of 
faith  in  God ;  frankly  told  him  he  had  done  foolishly ; 
had  forfeited  his  position  as  the  accepted  king  of 
God's  people,  and  must  be,  sooner  or  later,  superseded 
by  one  who  would  obey  his  divine  Sovereign  im- 
plicitly and  trust  him  with  all  his  heart.  Thus  Saul 
was  weighed  in  the  balances  of  this  searching  test  and 
found  wanting.  Obedience  less  than  implicit  and  abso- 
lute is  no  real  obedience  at  all.  Saul  made  shipwreck 
on  the  point  of  this  vital  distinction.  From  this  time 
onward  his  career  was  downward  and  rapid.  ^  It  was 
not  possible  that  God  could  be  manifestly  on  his  side — 
evermore  with  him  to  make  all  his  ways  prosperous. 

Jonathan. 

1  Sam.  14 :  1-46  records  thrilling  scenes.  Jonathan 
and  his  armor-bearer,  single-handed,  under  the  inspira- 
tion of  sublime  faith  in  God,  are  seen  moving  upon  the 
hosts  of  the  Philistines,  panic-smiting  their  vast  mul- 
titude, turning  the  whole  tide  of  war,  and  ultimately 
drivino;  the  Philistines  back   to  their  cities. This 


132  JONATHAN. 

great  victory  was  marred  by  the  mistake,  not  to  say 
the  folly,  of  King  Saul  in  imprecating  a  fatal  curse 
upon  any  man  wlio  should  touch  a  morsel  of  food 
during  the  entire  day.  Jonathan,  who  was  off  before 
this  military  order  Was  issued,  and  who  began  his 
day's  fighting  with  the  morning  light,  became  faint  for 
want  of  food ;  helped  himself  to  wild  honey  that  lay  in 
his  path,  and  found  "  his  eyes  enlightened  "  (vs.  27-29) — 
the  dimness  of  vision  consequent  upon  faintness  was  re- 
lieved. But  notwithstanding  these  lesser  abatements 
from  the  benign  results  of  the  day,  the  victory  was 
glorious— the  honor  being  due,  however,  under  God, 
not  to  Saul,  but  to  Jonathan. That  the  people  in- 
terposed resolutely  to  resist  Saul's  purpose  and  save 
Jonathan  from  death  under  Saul's  rash  curse  is  proof 
that  his  power  was  not  altogether  absolute,  also  that 
the  people  were  in  heart  enthusiastically  with  Jona- 
than.  The  day  taken  in  whole  must  have  been  not 

a  little  humiliating  to  the  king.  Jonathan's  record 
shines  with  the  splendor  of  sublime  heroism,  and  of 
genuine  faith  in  God — all  the  more  so,  because  when 
the  whole  army,  and  even  Saul,  were  trembling  with 
fear,  many  deserting  their  nation's  standard,  and 
secreting  themselves  wherever  they  could,  he  rose 
high  above  ^very  fear,  and  accounting  that  the  Lord 
was  mighty  to  save  by  many  or  by  few,  plunged  in 
among  the  armed  hosts  of  Philistia,  and  laid  a  full 
score  of  warriors  low  in  the  first  assault,  and  thus 
sent  panic  through  that  host  till  they  melted  away 
before  him,  and  turned  their  mad,  wild  hand  upon  each 
other.  Thus  began  that  day  of  glorious  victory  for 
Israel. 

This  spirit  of  heroism,  resting  upon  his  faith  in  God, 
is  quite  like  what  we  see  in  David  when  he  came  first 
into  the  camp  of  Israel  where  Goliath  was  challenging 
them  to  send  out  some  champion  for  single  combat.  No 
wonder  two  souls  so  kindred  in  spirit  as  David  and 
Jonathan  should  love  each  other  with  love  worth}^  of 
being  embalmed  in  the  sweetest  strains  of  David's  im- 
mortal song,  as  in  2  Sam.  1 :  17-27. 

The  closing  verses  (47-52)  of  this  cliap.  14,  give  a 
l)rief  resume  of  Saul's  family  history,  with  some  notices 
of  his  wars. 


SAUL   AND   AMALEK.  133 

Saul  and  Amaleh, 

Chap.  15  reveals  yet  more  fully  the  fatal  lack  in  the 
character  of  Saul,  and  is  a  natural  sequel  to  the  develop- 
ments which  appear  in  chap.  13.  The  test  in  this  in- 
stance was  a  special  commission  to  destroy  Amalek — a 
commission  perfectly  explicit  in  its  terms,  and  therefore 
one  that  could  not  be  misunderstood.  It  called  for  an 
utter  destruction — one  that  should  spare  nothing,  man 
or  beast,  alive.  Saul  assumed  the  responsibility  of 
making  exceptions  in  the  case  of  their  King  Agag,  and 
of  the  best  of  the  sheep,  lambs,  oxen,  and  fatlings.  His 
reasons  named  were — not  any  want  of  military  force, 
nor  any  considerations  of  compassion.  Why  he  spared 
their  king  is  not  apparent,  unless  it  were  to  grace  his 
triumph.  As  to  the  cattle  the  record  states  that  Saul 
and  the  peojde  concurred  in  sparing  them  (v.  9) ;  but 
Saul  thrice  over  (viz.,  vs.  15,  21,  24),  distinctly,  yet 
probably  not  truthfully,  laid  the  responsibility  upon 
the  people.  The  reason  assigned  was  that  they  might 
offer  them  to  the  Lord  in  sacrifice— probably  as  being 
in  their  view  a  matter  of  economy — to  save  their  own. 

This  new  development  of  disobedience  ("rebellion" 
the  Lord  calls  it,  v.  23)  brought  matters  to  issue  between 
the  Lord  and  Saul.  The  divine  word  came  to  Samuel ; 
"  It  repenteth  me  that  I  have  set  up  Saul  to  be  king, 
for  he  is  turned  back  from  following  me,  and  hath  not 
performed  my  commandments"  (v.  11.)  This  touched 
the  pity  and  compassion  of  Samuel's  heart.  "  It  grieved 
Samuel"  (we  read),  "and  he  cried  unto  the  Lord  all 
night."  But  the  Lord's  decision  could  not  (honorably) 
be  reversed.  So  Samuel  himself,  in  reply  to  Saul's  en- 
treaties, was  forced  to  declare ;  "  The  Strength  of  Israel 
will  not  lie  nor  repent ;  for  he  is  not  a  man  that  he 
should  repent "  (v.  29).  The  Hebrew  word  for  "  strength  " 
is  not  elsewhere  applied  to  God,  but  according  to  its  cur- 
rent usage  should  contemplate,  not  merely  his  power,  but 
his  ineffable  glory,  and  especially  the  eternity  of  his 
being,  and  hence  the  permanence  of  every  glorious 
quality  of  his  character. 

In  this  transaction  the  expostulations  and  reasonings 
of  Samuel  with  Saul  are  pregnant  with  moral  force  for 
all  ages.  "Ye  think"  (he  would  say)  "to  please  the 
Lord  by  sparing  the  flocks  and  herds  of  Amalek  and 


134  SAUL   AND  AMALEK. 

then  offering  them  to  the  Lord  in  sacrifice."  No  mis- 
take could  be  greater  or  more  fatal.  "  Hath  the  Lord 
as  great  delight  in  burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices  as  in 
obeying  the  voice  of  the  Lord?  Behold,  to  obey  is 
better  than  sacrifice,  and  to  hearken,  than  the  fat  of 
rams.  For  rebellion  is  as  the  sin  of  witchcraft,  and 
stubbornness  is  as  iniquity  and  idolatry."  God  asks 
the  homage  of  the  heart— the  pure  and  perfect  submis- 
sion of  the  human  will.  No  substitute  for  this  can  pos- 
sibly be  accepted. 

Neither  apology  nor  confession  on  the  part  of  Saul 
could  avail  to  change  the  divine  purpose.  Saul  had 
shown  himself  untrue  to  his  Supreme  Sovereign  and 
utterly  unfit  to  be  king  over  the  Lord's  people.  It,  there- 
fore, only  remained  for  Samuel  to  rebuke  his  sin  sharply, 
to  testify  to  him  that  the  Lord  had  that  day  rent  the 
kingdom  of  Israel  (in  purpose)  from  him  and  given  it  to 
a  neighbor  better  than  he ;  and  then  to  tear  himself  sadly 
yet  firmly  away  from  Saul  and  leave  him  to  his  wretched 

doom. Yet  as  if  to  administer  one  last  rebuke  to  Saul 

by  giving  him  an  example  of  what  he  should  have  done, 
he  commands — "  Bring  ye  hither  to  me  Agag  the  king 
of  Amalek."  "Agag  "  (we  read)  "  came  to  him  deli- 
cately"— the  sense  of  which  Hebrew  word  may  perhaps 
be  ivith  joy,  assuming  that  his  peril  of  death  was  past. 
Yet  Fuerst  gives  the  word  the  sense — in  chains.  The 
Septuagint  has  it  "trembling."  The  first  named  sense, 
[^.  e.,  with  joy]  seems  most  probable,  because  in  harmony 

with  what  follows. Then  the  aged  Samuel,  rising  to 

the  stern  demands  of  God's  fearful  retributions,  pro- 
claims— "  As  thy  sword  has  made  women  childless,  so 
shall  thy  mother  be  childless  among  women," — and 
then  "hewed  the  guilty  king  in  pieces  before  the 
Lord  " — the  final  clause  "  before  the  Lord  "  signifying  that 
God  was  solemnly  present  to  that  scene,  and  that  it  was 
done  in  faithful  "though  stern  fulfillment  of  God's  com- 
mand. It  was  the  moment  for  God's  eternal  justice  to 
be  vindicated.  There  was  no  element  in  Saul's  charac- 
ter equal  to  such  an  emergency ;  there  was  none  in 
Samuel's  that  could  shrink  from  fulfilling  God's  high 
behest.     The  contrast  is  a  lesson  in  moral  sublimity. 

Does  the  divine  mandate  for  the  extermination  of 
Amalek  seem  to  any  reader  unreasonably  severe  and 
unworthy  of  God  ?   Let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  Amalek 


SAUL   AND  AMALEK.  135 

stands  before  the  world  on  the  scripture  record  as  fore- 
most among  the  savage  nations  of  those  early  times  in 
her  cruelty  and  in  her  ruthless  violation  of  common 
humanity.  Israel  had  scarcely  crossed  the  Red  Sea 
when  Amalek  fell  savagely  on  the  rear  of  his  marching 
hosts,  assaulting  the  infirm  and  weary,  the  aged,  the 
mothers  with  babes.  There,  first,  Israel  was  brought 
into  conflict  of  arms  with  her  causeless  enemies.  (See 
Ex.  17:  8-16).  This  is  the  scene  which  the  Lord  here 
speaks  of  remembering  still.  Let  the  reader  note  also 
the  record  (Deut.  25 :  17-19)  which  recites  the  outrage 
perpetrated  on  Israel  by  Amalek  (as  above),  and  adds — 
''  When  the  Lord  hath  given  thee  rest  in  Canaan,  thou 
shalt  blot  out  the  remembrance  of  Amalek  from  under 

heaven ;  thou  shalt  not  forget  it." Some  fresh  assault 

from  Amalek  seems  to  be  referred  to  in  this  immediate 
connection  (1  Sam.  14:  48)  in  the  general  reference  to 
this  onslaught  upon  Amalek  :  "  And  he  (Saul)  gathered 
an  host  and  smote  the  Amalekites,  and  delivered  Israel 
out  of  the  hands  of  them  that  spoiled  them."  It  seems  to  be 
implied  here  that  Amalek  had  quite  recently  fallen 
upon  Israel  for  plunder  and  spoil,  taking  advantage 
probably  of  some  period  of  special  exposure  in  conse- 
quence of  their  "vvars  with  the  Philistines.  The  reader 
will  note  also  that  Samuel  prefaces  the  execution  of 
Agag  with  words  indicating  precisely  the  idea  of  right- 
eous retribution :  "  As  thy  sword  hath  made  mothers 
childless,  so  shall  thy  mother  be  childless  among 
women."  It  is  one  of  the  sublime  prerogatives  of  the 
God  of  nations  to  hold  men  to  righteousness  and  to 
deter  them  from  outrageous  inhumanity.  There  will 
be  cases  that  must  be  made  terrible  examples  of  the 
punishment  which  such  sinners  deserve.  It  is  simply 
inevitable  that  if  nations  as  such  are  to  be  governed 
at  all  by  the  Great  God  of  nations,  they  must  have  their 
punishment  in  the  present  world.  It  must  be  left  to  the 
option  of  divine  wisdom  to  determine  the /o?'??i  of  this 
punishment — whether  by  a  deluge  of  waters ;  by  the  vol- 
cano or  earthquake  ;  by  pestilence  or  famine  ;  or  by  the 
sword  of  war.  The  justice  of  such  retribution  is  the  same 
by  whatever  means  it  be  executed.  And  if  it  please 
God  to  commission  Israel  to  execute  his  retribution  on 
Amalek,  who  shall  question  the  wisdom  of  his  pleasure  ? 
It  may  impress  Israel  with  a  fresh  sense  of  God's  right- 


136  HISTORY  OF   DAVID. 

ecus  rule  over  the  nations  and  of  the  wisdom  of  having 
the  fear  of  God  ever  before  them.  The  assumption — 
sometimes  so  hastily  and  thoughtlessly  made — that 
real  benevolence  never  can  restrain  sin  by  means  of 
inflicted  suffering,  may  sometimes  seem  plausible,  but 
is  sadly  short-sighted,  not  to  say  puerile.  It  has  never 
measured  the  mischiefs  of  unrestrained  sin  in  the  moral 
universe ;  has  taken  no  account  of  the  true  interests  of 
moral  beings,  or  of  the  value  of  holiness;  and  does  not 
even  attempt  to  estimate  the  responsibilities  of  the 
Great  Father  of  all  to  restrain  and  punish  the  free 
moral  wickedness  of  his  creatures. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

The  History  of  David. 

From  this  point  (1  Sam.  16)  onward,  the  historic 
thread  runs  on  the  life  of  David,  not  of  Saul.  David  is 
the  primary  character,  Saul  only  the  secondary.  What- 
ever is  said  of  Saul  is  here  because  of  its  relations  to 
David ;  what  is  said  of  David  is  here  for  its  own  sake, 
to  give  us  a  full  and  connected  view  of  his  experiences 
during  the  interval  between  his  being  anointed  and  his 

being  ultimately  inaugurated  as  king  of  Israel. After 

Saul  has  been  publicly  disowned  of  God  the  historian 
seems  more  than  willing  to  let  him  drop  out  of  his  nar- 
rative, except  as  the  history  of  David  necessarily  brings 
him  to  view.  Around  David  the  chief  interest  of  the 
sacred  story  naturally  gathers. 

Opening  this  chapter  16,  we  are  reminded  again  (v.  1) 
of  the  deep  and  honest  grief  felt  by  Samuel  over  the 
sad  fall  of  Israel's  first  king.  It  was  sad  that  the 
first  king  should  make  such  a  failure — that  one  of  so 
much  early  promise  should  break  down  so  utterly,  and 
that,  too,  on  the  very  first  principle  of  true  piety — im- 
plicit obedience  to  God. 

In  choosing  the  next  king,  the  Lord  looked  for  a  man 
— not  after  the  heart  of  Israel,  but  after  kis  own  heart. 
Consequently  his  choice  was  determined,  not  by  the 
outer,  but  by  the  inner  man;  not  by  lofty  stature  and 


HISTORY   OF    DAVID.  137 

commanding  presence,  but  by  the  far  nobler  qualities 
of  a  true,  trustful,  loving  heart.  He  sends  Samuel  to  a 
humble  family  of  Bethlehem-Judah  under  instructions 
to  take  with  him  his  horn  of  oil,  and  let  his  mind  be 
guided  by  the  word  of  the  Lord  given  him  on  the*  spot. 

The  reader  will  notice  Samuel's  solicitude  lest  Saul 

should  hear  of  it,  and  under  excited  jealousy  take  the 
prophet's  life.  God's  method  of  avoiding  this  danger 
throws  light  on  a  nice  question  of  casuistry — viz., 
whether  it  is  right  to  conceal  a  part  of  the  truth  from 
those  whose  known  character  and  purpose  make  it  cer- 
tain that  they  would  use  this  knowledge  for  evil.  In 
this  case  Saul  had  no  claim  to  know  what  God  was 
doing  in  regard  to  the  anointing  of  David.  It  was  cer- 
tain that  the  knowledge,  if  he  had  it,  would  fire  up  his 
selfish  jealousy  to  mad  furj^  and  involve  him  in  awful 
sin.  It  was,  therefore,  right  and  kind  toward  him  to 
withhold  from  him  this  knowledge.  The  proposed 
method  of  concealing  it  involved  no  falsehood;  it 
merely  withheld  part  of  the  truth,  and  this  from  one 
who  had  no  claim  to  know  it,  and  who  could  not  safely 
be  trusted  with  this  knowledge.  The  sacrifice  was  not 
a  sham,  but  was  an  honest  transaction,  demanded  by  the 
solemnities  of  the  occasion. That  the  elders  of  Beth- 
lehem "  trembled  "  (v.  4)  at  Samuel's  coming  shows  that 
the  people  were  by  no  means  at  ease  under  the  admin- 
istration of  Saul.  Society  was  unrestful — as  under  some 
terrible  despotism  where  no  man  can  know  that  his 
head  is  safe  upon  his  shoulders.  A  king  who  is  con- 
sciously unfit  to  reign  and  painfully  sensible  that  both 
God  and  man  must  know  it  too,  is  of  all  men  most 
miserable.  Such  was  the  case  of  this  degenerate  king. 
In  V.  7  we  see  that,  as  hinted  above,  Israel's  second 
king  was  to  be  chosen  on  the  ground  of  qualities  pleas- 
ing to  God,  and  not  of  those  that  were  popular  with 
men.  In  the  case  of  the  first  king  the  people  had  a 
man  to  their  notion — of  tall  and  commanding  j^resence, 
who  in  tliese  points  might  compare  with  the  champion 
monarchs  of  the  nations  round  about  them.  In  the 
case  of  David  the  Lord  sought  and  found  a  man  whose 
chief  qualities  were  that  he  knew  and  loved  the  Lord, 
and  that  his  heart  was  true  and  trustful  toward  the  God 
of  Israel.  Samuel  very  naturally  assumed  that  the 
first-born  would  be  the  man,  and  the  more  so  for  his 
7 


138  THE    EVIL   SPIRIT   IN   SAUL. 

lofty  stature  and  imposing  mien.  But  the  Lord  soon 
set  him  right,  coupling  this  correction  with  the  state- 
ment of  the  grand  principle :  "  The  Lord  seeth  not  as 
man  seeth ;  for  man  looketh  on  the  outward  appear- 
ance, but  the  Lord  looketh  on  the  heart."  Somewhat 
broader  still  was  the  doctrine  taught  by  our  Lord  (Luke 
16:  15)  :  "God  knoweth  your  hearts;  for  that  which  is 
highly  esteemed  among  men  is  abomination  in  the 
sight  of  God." 

Youngest  of  Jesse's  eight  sons  came  forth  at  last 
the  youthful  David,  whom  his  father  evidently  thought 
quite  ineligible,  and  therefore  had  not  even  called 
him  in  from  his  shepherd  duties  to  be  present  on  this 
occasion.  The  brief  notice  of  his  "  personnel "  makes 
no  allusion  to  his  stature.  He  was  "  ruddy  "  in  com- 
plexion (red-haired  like  Esau,  some  of  the  critics 
think)  but  beautiful;  of  pleasing  countenance.  The 
aged  prophet  anointed  him,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  in- 
dorsed this  anointing  by  coming  upon  him  from  that 
day  forward.  This  second  and  spiritual  anointing 
gave  him  special  qualifications  for  his  new  and  com- 
ing responsibilities,  in  accordance  with  which  the  Apos- 
tle John  wrote  :  "  Ye  have  received  an  unction  from 
the  Holy  One,  and  ye  know  all  things ;"..."  The 
same  anointing  teacheth  you  of  all  things,  and  is 
truth"  (1  John  2:  20,  27). 

Tlie  Evil  Spirit  in  Saul. 

Here  a  striking  fact  appears  in  the  case  of  Saul 
(v.  14),  viz.,  that  not  only  did  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
depart  from  him,  but  an  evil  spirit  from  the  Lord 
troubled  him — "  troubled  "  in  the  sense  of  the  distor- 
tion of  the  normal  activities  of  his  mind — an  abnor- 
mal state  of  his  faculties— due  to  the  terrible  power 
of  jealousy  and  to  the  mastery  of  evil  influences 
over  his  soul.  Psychologically  considered,  here  are 
really  three   questions :  (a.)  AVhat   exactly  was    this 

mental  state — this  terrible  condition  of  the  soul? 

(b.)  Was  any  spiritual  agency  from  without  himself 
concerned  in  its  production,  and  if  so,  what? — —  (c.) 
In  what  sense  was  this  evil  spirit  ^'from  the  LorclT^ 

(a.)  One  vital  fact  in  Saul's  case  is  that  he  was  apos- 
tate from  God,  and,  therefore,  inevitably  wretched.    He 


THE    EVIL   SPIRIT   IN    SAUL.  139 

had  been  too  near  to  God,  and  knew  too  much  of  him 
to  be  at  rest  in  a  state  of  apostasy.  Consciously  unfit  to 
reign ;  knowing  but  too  well  that  God  had  forsaken 
him;  cast  off  from  all  hope  in  God,  and  haunted  with 
"a  certain  fearful  looking-for  of  judgment,"  how  could 
he  be  otherwise  than  melancholy,  anxious,  miserable? 

(b.)  The  next  fact  pertaining  to  the  state  of  such  a 

mind  is  that  it  presents  a  most  congenial  field  for 
Satan's  agency.  He  loves  to  torment  such  souls,  and 
never  misses  his  opportunity.  His  suggestions  are 
naturally  seconded  and  not  even  feebly  resisted  by  the 
normal  action  of  a  human  soul  lost  to  God  and  sur- 
rendered to  the  power  of  evil. (c.)  It  only  remains 

to  say  that  there  is  need  of  no  other  agency  from  God 
than  the  permissive.^  Satan  never  needs  to  be  sent  on 
such  a  mission ;  it  is  only  requisite  that  the  Lord  suffer 
him  to  go.  Such  permission  is  one  feature  in  that 
awful  retribution  which  God  must  send  upon  apostate 
souls.  They  having  chosen  sin  and  rebellion  rather 
than  obedience,  and,  consequently,  evil  rather  than 
good,  God  leaves  them  to  their  own  guilty  choice,  to 
"eat  the  fruit  of  their  own  way,  and  to  be  filled  with 
their  own  devices."  What  can  be  said  against  his 
wisdom  or  his  love  in  leaving  sinners  to  their  own 
chosen  ways?  What  reason  can  be  given  why  he 
should  not  thus  leave  them  ?  How  can  sin  be  more 
effectually  forestalled  and  resisted  in  a  moral  universe 
than  by  sometimes  giving  it  scope  to  develop  its  full 
and  fearful  power  to  sink  human  souls  under  an  unut- 
terable desolation  ? 

Next  in  this  history  (1  Sam.  16:  15-23)  we  meet  the 
remarkable  fact  that  music  (especially  that  of  the 
Hebrew  harp)  appears  as  the  antidote  to  the  agency  of 
this  "  evil  spirit."  The  record  shows  two  things,  viz., 
that  in  that  age  music  was  currently  understood  and 
believed  to  have  this  power;  and  that  in  Saul's  case 
it  proved  effective. 

"'■•  If  permissive  agency  on  the  part  of  God  be  all  the  case  requires, 
then  it  is  unphilosophical  to  assume  any  thing  more.  The  known 
character  of  God  foi'bids  us  to  go  beyond  this — unless  the  case 
demands  it — as  it  does  not.  Moreover,  Hebrew  usage  fully  justifies 
this  construction  of  the  passage.  Things  done  under  God's  permis- 
sive agency  are  usually  said  to  be  done  by  God.  See  the  case  of  hard- 
ening Pharaoh's  heart,  and  also  God's  agency  in  the  sin  of 
Joseph's  brethren. 


140  THE   EVIL   SPIRIT   IN   SAUL. 

This  fact  is  one  of  too  much  interest  and  value  to  be 
passed  without  a  few  moments'  attention. Let  us  in- 
quire if  there  be  any  other  known  facts  or  laws  of 
mind  which  may  either  illustrate  or  confirm  this. 

The  ancient  harp  of  the  Hebrews  we  may  not  be 
able  to  reproduce  with  sufficient  certainty  to  analyze 
its  powers  as  compared  with  other  instruments  or  with 
the  human  voice.  But  it  is  safe  to  assume  that  it  was 
constructed  for  use  in  religious  worship,  and,  therefore, 

doubtless,  had  adaptations  to  sacred  song. Next,  let 

us  note  that  its  musical  power  was  manifestly  congenial 
to  the  presence  and  activities  of  the  Holy  Spirit — that 
Spirit  under  which  prophets  prophesied,  and  worshiped, 
and  praised.     This  we  have  seen  in  our  studies  upon 

the  music  of  the  schools  of  the  prophets. From  this 

fact  we  naturally  j^ass  to  the  conclusion  that  what  was 
so  sweetly  in  harmony  with  the  Spirit  of  God  must  be 
out  of  all  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  the  devil.  The 
music  and  the  songs  that  tune  men's  hearts  to  praise 
and  to  worship,  and  to  love,  must  be  intensely  repel- 
lent to  the  spirit  of  hate,  of  discord,  of  cursing — of  all 

evil. Note  also  the  well  known  fact  that  some  forms 

of  insanity  yield  (at  least  temporarily)  to  the  power  of 
soft,  gentle  music.  It  strangely  charms  such  souls  to 
rest,  as  if  the  spirit  of  their  insanity  could  not  resist 
its  uncongenial  influence.  It  is  also  well  known  that 
the  violent  (semi-satanic)  passions  of  jealousy,  anger, 
revenge,  become  at  once  conscious  of  the  antagonistic 
force  of  music.  He  must  be  (one  might  almost  say)  more 
demoniac  than  the  demons  who  can  steel  his  sensibili- 
ties altogether  against  its  power. 

The  case  of  Saul  will  be  mostly  relieved  of  mystery 
if  studied  in  the  light  of  his  antecedents.  Apostate 
from  God;  then  forsaken  by  God;  burdened  with  ofilcial 
responsibilities  which  he  could  neither  bear  nor  throw 
off;  consciously  unfit  to  reign,  and,  worse  j^et,  con- 
sciously guilty,  as  well  as  weak,  why  should  not 
he  be  melancholy,  troubled,  wretched?  If  music  can 
divert  his  thought  from  himself  for  even  the  moment, 
it  will  refresh  him;  if  it  can  soothe  the  dreadful  dis- 
quiet of  his  soul  even  transiently,  he  will  breathe 
more  freely.  If  we  accept  the  supposition  that  Satan's 
hellish  impulses  were  present  in  the  case,  then  the 
music  of  the  harp— so  like  heaven,   so  unlike   hell — • 


DAVID   AND   GOLIATH.  141 

may  have  made  him  but  too  glad  to  withdraw,  and 
bide  his  time  to  return  under  more  congenial  sur- 
roundings. 

It  should  be  noted  that  this  reference  to  the  evil 
spirit  upon  Saul  appears  here  to  account  for  David's 
coming  to  court.  He  was  brought  there  to  relieve  Saul 
in  his  paroxysms  of  melancholic  insanity. 

David  (as  appears  here,  v.  18)  had  other  fine  and 
promising  qualities  besides  his  skill  in  music — a 
mighty,  valiant  man,  a  man  of  war,  of  knowledge  and 
skill  in  words  (so  the  Hebrew) ;  of  agreeable  person, 
and,  as  was  well  understood,  a  man  who  walked  with  God, 
and  whose  ways  the  Lord  made  to  prosper.  Hence, 
even  Saul  was  favorably  impressed,  and,  as  the  record 
2)uts  it — "  loved  him  greatly." 

It  has  been  thought  by  some  critics,  that  this  para- 
graph (1  Sam.  16:  14-23)  belongs  in  the  order  of  time 
ofier  the  scenes  between  David  and  Goliath  (chap.  17), 
and  especially  so  because  Saul  seemed  not  to  recognize 
David  when  he  saw  him  go  forth  to  meet  that  Philis- 
tine (17:  55).  It  is  certain  that  David  came  to  that 
battle-field,  not  from  Saul's  court,  but  from  his  father's 
house.  Hence  if  his  introduction  at  Saul's  court  pre- 
ceded the  slaying  of  Goliath,  he  returned  home  again. 
This  may  have  been  the  case.  As  to  Saul's  failure  to 
recognize  David  it  should  be  noticed  that  the  point  of 
his  inquiry  was — not.  Who  zs  this  young  man,  but,  Who 
is  \v\^  father?  Amid  the  cares  of  a  kingdom  in  time  of 
war,  he  may  have  forgotten  that  this  young  man,  for 
a  time  his  musician  and  armor-bearer,  was  the  son  of 

Jesse  of  Bethlehem. After  the  scenes  with  Goliath 

Saul  would  let  him  go  home  no  more  to  his  father's 
house  (18 :  2). 

David  and  Goliath.     (1  Sam.  17.) 

Our  study  of  this  scene  may  fitly  embrace  two  quite 
distinct   inquiries  : — (a.)  Into  its  external  history  and 

circumstances; (b.)  Into  its  sublime  significance  as 

related  to  the  character  of  David  and  tlie  great  con- 
flict of  arms  beween  Israel  and  lier  national  enemies. 

(a.)  The  geographical  locality  of  this  scene  has 
been  very  satisfactorily  identified  by  Dr.  Robinson. 
(See    his    Researches,  vol.    ii,    349,    350).   Sbocho    (or 


142  DAVID   AND  GOLIATH. 

Socoh)  is  found  in  the  modern  Shuweikeh,  near  the 
western  border  of  Judah,  nine  Roman  miles  from 
Eleutheropolis,  on  the  great  road  from  Gaza  to  Jeru- 
salem. The  valley  of  Elah  is  here,  the  mountain 
ridges  confronting  each  other  and  the  valley  between 
into  which  Goliath  descended  on  forty  successive  days 
(v.  16)  to  challenge  the  army  of  Israel  to  send  forth 
some  champion  to  meet  him  and  decide  by  single  com- 
bat which  nation  should  be  master  and  which  servant 
to  the  other.  Goliath  is  spoken  of  *as  a  "  champion  " 
— the  Hebrew  word  signifying  a  man  between  ;  on-e  who 
holds  a  middle  position  between  two  hostile  armies. 
He  and  his  opponent  wield  their  respective  destinies. 
Goliath's  personnel  and  armor  are  fully  described — 
his  height  about  nine  feet ;  the  weight  of  his  coat  of 
mail  five  thousand  shekels  of  brass  (proximately,  one 
hundred  and  sixty  pounds  avoirdupois).  One  of  the 
survivors  of  the  old  Anakim  race,  clad  with  defensive 
armor  so  ponderous,  complete,  and  strong  that  it  might 
be  expected  to  shield  him  perfectly  from  the  missiles 
of  ancient  warfare;  and  with  offensive  weapons  deemed 
sufficient  to  annihilate  any  ordinary  antagonist — his 
confidence  of  victory  in  single  combat  was  unbounded. 
All  Philistia  felt  safe  in  committing  their  nation's 
destiny  to  his  single  arm  as  against  any  warrior 
whom  the  Israelites  might  bring  out  against  him. 
His  words  of  defiance  coupled  with  his  manifest 
power  appalled  the  men  of  Israel :  "  They  were  dis- 
mayed and  greatly  afraid."  The  repetition  of  this 
challenge  for  forty  days  had  not  abated  their  fears, 
nor  did  they  seem  to  approach  any  nearer  to  a  final 
issue  on  the  basis  of  this  challenge. 

At  this  critical  juncture  a  new  sort  of  hero  appeared 
on  the  Hebrew  side.  The  youthful  shepherd  of  Beth- 
lehem, sent  by  his  father  Jesse  with  army  supplies  for 
his  three  older  brethren  in  Saul's  army,  happened  there 
just  at  the  moment  when  this  Goliath  strode  down  the 
hill  for  his  morning  challenge.  His  ear  caught  the 
taunting  tones  and  words ;  his  quick  eye  noted  the  panic 
which  shook  the  Hebrew  lines,  and  his  soul  was  stirred 
within  him.  He  soon  learned  the  pending  issues— the 
call  for  some  hero  to  dare  the  single-handed  fight  in 
behalf  of  Israel;  and  he  felt — what  no  one  else  had 
seemed  to  feel— the  insult  ofiered  to  Israel's  God,  and 


DAVID   AND   GOLIATH.  143 

the  inspirations  of  sublime  confidence  that  their  own 
Jehovah  would  surely  /ivenge  his  own  honor  and  wipe 
out  this  reproach,  if'^only  some  one  would  go  forth  in 
his  name  to  this  conflict.  He  remembered  how  he  had 
slain  a  lion  and  a  bear,  and  he  saw  in  that  success  a 
pledge  that  his  God  would  give  him  an  easy  victory 
over  this  uncircumcised  Philistine  who  had  defied  at 
once  the  God  of  Israel  and  the  armed  hosts  of  his  people. 
He,  therefore,  modestly  signified  his  readiness  for  this 
single  combat;  was  brought  before  Saul  and  again  de- 
clared himself  ready.  At  Saul's  suggestion  he  put  on 
Saul's  armor,  but  soon  laid  it  aside  as  untried,  lest  it 
should  trammel"  rather  than  protect  or  aid  him.  Eeally 
his  views  of  the  pending  issue  would  not  allow  him  to 
think  of  matching  one  coat  of  mail  against  another. 
His  expectation  of  God's  interposing  arm  did  not  lead 
that  way.  If  w^e  might  allow  ourselves  to  speculate 
upon  his  thought  and  plan  for  this  fight,  we  should 
assume  that  his  own  good  sense  was  at  one  with  the 
impulses  of  God's  inspiration  within  him  to  this 
point,  that  he  must  depend  under  God  upon  his  tried 
weapons — the  sling  and  stone — and  that  if  these 
weapons  seemed  weak  and  insignificant,  all  the  more 
would  men  see  that  "  the  excellency  of  the  power  was 
not  of  man  but  of  God."  David's  sling  had  been  with 
him  in  many  a  day  of  shepherd  life ;  he  knew  how  to 
put  a  smooth  stone  from  the  brook  straight  and  swift 
to  its  mark.  And  however  thoroughly  shielded  by  his 
helmet  and  coat  of  mail  Goliath  might  be,  he  could  not 
fight  without  eyes  nor  see  without  exposing  them  some- 
w^hat  to  such  a  missile  as  a  small  smooth  stone.  How 
much  space  adjacent  to  the  eye  was  exposed  does  not 
appear;  not  much  was  needful  for  David's  mark.  So 
the  thing  was  done.  The  giant  strode  down  into  the 
valley,  and  looking  about  "  saw  the  youthful  David  and 
disdained  him,"  for  he  was  but  a  youth,  ruddy  and  fair — 
more  fit,  Goliath  doubtless  thought,  to  grace  an  assembly 
room  than  a  field  of  battle.  He  manifestly  felt  himself 
insulted.  Perhaps  out  of  respect  to  his  offended  dignity, 
he  may  have  raised  the  question  whether  he  ought  not 
to  retire  indignantly  from  the  field.  "Am  I  a  dog," 
said  he,  "that  thou  comest  to  me  with  staves?  And 
the  Philistine  cursed  David  by  his  gods."  Proudly, 
champion-like,   he   tells   what   he   can   and   will   do. 


144  DAVID   AND   GOLIATH. 

"  Come  to  me,  and  I  will  give  thy  flesh  to  the  fowls  of 
the  air  and  to  the  beasts  of  the  field." David's  reply- 
reveals  the  source  of  his  courage :  "  Thou  comest  to  me 
with  sword,  and  spear,  and  shield :  I  come  to  thee  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  the  God  of  the  armies  of  Israel 
^rhom  thou  hast  defied.  This  day  will  the  Lord  deliver 
thee  into  my  hands;  I  will  smite  thee  and  take  thy 
head  from  thee,  and  I  will  give,  not  thy  carcass  only,  but 
the  carcasses  of  the  Philistine  host  to  the  fowls  of  the 
air  and  to  the  wild  beasts  of  the  earth,  that  all  the  earth 
may  know  that  there  is  a  God  in  Israel.  And  all  this 
assembl}^  (these  gathered  hosts  crowning  these  mount- 
ain summits  to  witness)  shall  know  that  the  Lord 
saveth  not  with  sword  and  spear,  for  the  battle  is  the 

Lord's,  and  he  will  give  j^ou  into  our  hands." Verily 

David  had  ideas  and  had  words — grand  ideas  and  fitting 
words — as  well  as  courage  of  soul  and  a  trusty  sling. 
So  when  Goliath  approached  to  meet  David,  David,  too, 
hasted  and  ran  toward  the  opposing  army  to  meet  his 
foe.  One  stone  from  his  bag  filled  his  sling ;  he  hurled 
it  and  smote  the  Philistine  in  his  forehead,  where  it 
sunk  deep  and  he  fell  upon  his  face  to  the  earth.  The 
deed  is  done !  It  only  remained  to  run  to  his  fallen  foe, 
draw  the  dying  champion's  sword  and  take  off  with  it 
his  head.  The  Philistine  armv,  smitten  with  terror, 
betake  themselves  to  flight.  The  men  of  Israel  and 
Judah  arose,  gave  one  shout — the  shout  of  a  host — and 
then  pursued  the  fleeing  enemy  even  to  their  cities. 
Such  in  brief  were  the  external  points  of  that  thrilling 
transaction. 

(b.)   pf  its  significance,  what  shall  we  say? Here 

were  new  elements,  a  new  spirit  and  new  achievements, 
little  known  ere  this  in  the  wars  of  Saul ;  nowhere 
apparent  indeed  except  in  the  somewhat  analogous 
case  of  Jonathan  and  his  armor-bearer,  as  we  saw  in  1 
Sam.  14.  If  we  study  David  to  purpose  we  shall  see 
that  the  secret  of  his  courage,  his  coolness,  his  heroism, 
and  his  power,  lay  in  the  fact  that  God  was  with  him. 
He  had  a  sense  of  a  present  God,  of  a.  sort  unknown  to 
Saul — little  known  it  would  seem  to  the  men  of  his 
army.  In  Christian  phrase  he  had  faith,  and  this  faith 
took  on  in  war-scenes  the  form  of  placid  trust,  cool 
courage,  the  inspiration  of  heroism.  He  knew  that 
God  had  a  care  for  his  own  glory,  and  he  saw  that  the 


DAVID  AND   GOLIATH.  145 

hour  had  come  for  its  manifestations  hefore  Israel  and 
before  all  the  nations.  Therefore,  he  could  not  doubt 
the  issue  of  this  conflict.  He  went  out  to  it  with  no 
trepidation  of  doubt  or  fear.  His  eye  was  never  more 
clear  nor  his  right  arm  more  true.  Moreover  these  in- 
spirations of  faith  were  not  new  and  heretofore  unknown 
in  his  experience.  Had  this  been  the  case,  nothing  less 
than  miracle  could  have  kept  his  nerves  steady  and 
his  soul  above  perilous  perturbation.  We  must,  there- 
fore, assume  that  this  faith  had  become  the  quiet  habit 
of  his  mind.  Out  on  the  hills  of  Bethlehem,  caring  for 
his  flock  by  day  or  by  night,  he  had  walked  with  God. 
He  had  known  the  God  of  his  fathers  before  he  ever 
saw  Samuel  the  prophet;  but  after  that  scene  of  the 
anointing,  how  often  were  his  thoughts  thrown  forward 
upon  that  held  of  untried  responsibilities,  and  soothed 
to  rest  only  as  he  committed  his  unknown  ways  to  the 
over-ruling  care  of  the  Great  Father!  Those  days  or 
months  or  years  which  intervened  between  his  first 
meeting  with  Samuel  and  this  meeting  with  Goliath 
were  full  of  discipline  and  exercise  to  his  faith  in 
Israel's  God.  It  is  pleasant  to  think  how  often  he  had 
lifted  his  soul  to  God  in  humble  prayer  to  order  his 
unknown  future  and  to  give  him  the  training  requisite 
for  his  prospective  responsibilities.  Out  of  such  com- 
munion with  God  in  prayer,  there  is  wont  to  come 
forth  at  length  such  easy  achievements  as  these  on  this 
great  day  of  Jehovah's  triumphs  through  the  hand  of 
the  youthful  but  prayerful  David. 

The  scenes  of  this  day  had  their  significance  also  to 
the  whole  nation  of  Israel,  and  especially  to  the  army 
of  Saul,  before  whose  eyes  they  transpired.  Probably 
very  few  of  them  saw  in  David  their  future  king ;  few 
were  aware  that  their  great  prophet  had  poured  the 
anointing  oil  on  his  head.  Even  Eliab  who  saw  it  done 
seems  strangely  far  from  having  laid  it  in  any  sort  to 
his  heart.  Yet .  there,  before  their  eyes,  was  this 
astounding  spectacle.  In  the  very  ears  of  some  of  them 
rang  out  those  cheery,  most  inspiring  words  of  faith  in 
Israel's  God — "That  all  the  earth  may  know  that  there 
is  a  God  in  Israel ;  and  all  this  assembly  shall  know 
that  the  Lord  saveth  not  with  sword  and  spear;  for 
the  battle  is  the  Lord's."  What  a  testimony  was  that 
fall  of  the  Philistine  giant  before  the  sling  of  the  youth 


L46  HISTORY  OF   DAVID. 

ful  David  !  How  forcible  the  inference  that,  with  God 
on  their  side,  they  were  miglity  against  the  mightiest 
of  their  foes !  It  is  scarcely  to  be  expected  that  Saul, 
hardened  as  he  was,  w^ould  take  in  these  moral  lessons  ; 
but  we  may  hope  that  many  a  soldier  in  those  ranks 
saw  the  moral  teaching  of  this  wonderful  transaction 
and  felt  the  force  of  its  grand  lessons  respecting  the 
God  of  his  fathers.  It  is  pleasant  to  think  how  many 
thousand  times  along  the  lapse  of  the  ages  since  that 
day,  the  significance'of  its  scenes  has  lifted  up  hearts 
ready  to  sink,  and  fired  with  sublime  inspiration  souls 
otherwise  feeble  and  overborne  with  burdens  and  re- 
sponsibilities. Reading  this  chapter  of  God's  working 
through  weak  human  instruments,  "  the  feeble  have  be- 
come as  David,  and  the  house  of  David  as  God — as  the 
angel  of  the  Lord  before  them  "  (Zech.  12 :  8). 

We  ought  not  to  close  this  chapter  without  the  pass- 
ing remark  that  David  came  out  from  this  brilliant  vic- 
tory (apparently)  neither  inflated  with  vanity,  nor 
excited  with  unhallowed  ambition,  nor  impaired  in  his 
simple-hearted  modesty  of  unconscious  greatness.  He 
did  not  strike  for  the  throne,  nor  drop  the  least  hint 
that  he  thought  his  hour  had  come.  It  does  not  appear 
that  he  even  2^^nned  one  Psalm  to  celebrate  this  great  event. 
There  were  other  events  along  his  life-path,  some  sad, 
some  joyful,  which  brought  inspiration  to  his  poetic 
soul,  and  which  he  embalmed  in  song;  but  we  find 
no  special  allusion  in  his  Psalms  to  this  conflict  with 
Goliath.  Was  it  that  he  intuitively  felt  the  delicacy 
of  his  relations  to  Saul,  and  therefore  could  scarcely 
allow  himself  to  whisper  a  word  of  those  deeds  which 
the  Lord  wrought  by  his  hand?  The  fact  of  his 
silence  is  before  us;  we  need  ask  no  better  proof  that 
God  was  with  him  ;  no  higher  mark  of  true  greatness. 

IVie  history  of  David  continued :  other  results  of  his  slaying 
Goliath.     (1  Sam.  18.) 

As  one  result,  David  became  too  valuable  in  the 
house  of  Saul  to  be  spared  any  more  for  shepherd-life 

in  Bethlehem  (v.  2). As  might  have  been  expected, 

a  very  warm  friendship  sprung  up  between  Jonathan 
and  David.  Ali,  with  what  e3^es  did  Jonathan  look 
upon  the  youthful  David  giving  utterance  to  his  lofty 


HISTORY   OF   DAVID.  147 

inspirations  of  faith  and  going  forth  to  easy  victory 
over  proud  Goliath !  However  those  scenes  may  have 
impressed  other  minds  in  Saul's  court  and  camp,  there 
was  one  man  who  felt  through  all  his  soul  the  quick- 
ening of  kindred  sympathies  and  the  mighty  attractions 
of  a  kindred  spirit.  "  When  David  had  made  an  end 
of  speaking  unto  Saul  it  came  to  pass  that  the  soul 
of  Jonathan  was  knit  with  the  soul  of  David,  and 
Jonathan  loved  him  as  his  own  soul"  (v.  1).  A  cov- 
enant of  mutual  friendship  was  but  a  faint  expres- 
sion of  their  love.  Jonathan,  the  heir-apparent  to 
the  throne,  the  man  who  next  after  Saul  might  be  ex- 
pected, under  the  impulses  of  depraved  human  nature, 
to  be  unrestful  with  jealousy — this  Jonathan  can  not 
do  too  much  for  his  new  friend,  David.  He  stripped 
himself  of  his  outer  robe  and  gave  it  to  David,  and  of 
his  military  equipage,  even  to  his  sword,  and  bow,  and 
girdle.  We  shall  see  yet  more  of  this  friendship  in 
the  sequel. 

It  was  of  the  people,  not  of  David,  to  celebrate  this 
great  victory.  When  Israel's  warriors  returned  laden 
with  spoils  and  aflame  with  the  glory  of  victory,  "the 
women  came  out  of  all  the  cities  of  Israel,  singing  and 
dancing  to  meet  king  Saul  with  tabrets,  with  joy,  and 
with  instruments  of  music  1 "  Saul  felt  somewhat  the 
impulses  of  this  general  joy,  and  all  might  have  passed 
off  well  in  his  heart  but  for  one  word  which  came  to 
his  ear  from  their  song.  "Saul  hath  slain  his  thou- 
sands and  David  his  ten  thousands."  Alas !  this  was  a 
poisoned  arrow  to  his  heart.  It  touched  him  in  a  most 
sensitive  point,  and  he  seems  never  to  have  forgotten 
or  forgiven  it.  Saul  was  very  wroth,  and  the  saying 
displeased  him,  and  he  said  :  "  They  have  ascribed  unto 
David  ten  thousands  and  to  me  only  thousands ;  and 

what  can  he  have  more  but  the  kingdom?" Ah, 

what  can  be  done  for  him  who  is  consciously  unworthy 
of  the  first  praises  and  yet  can  not  endure  to  miss  them? 
Whence  can  help  come  to  a  spirit  smitten  with  such 

grief? The   historian  must  needs  give  a  j^lace  to 

these  troubles  in  the  heart  of  Saul,  for  they  are  the 
clew  to  his  future  policy  toward  David. 

From  that  day  forward  Saul  thought  he  saw  in  David 
a  dangerous  rival,  if  not  immediately  for  his  kingdom, 
yet  at  least  for  the  love  and  confidence  of  his  people. 


148  DAVID   AND   SAUL. 

"  Saul  eyed  David  from  that  day" — in  the  double  sense 
of  close  watchfulness  and  of  bitter  jealousy.  Brooding 
the  livelong  night  over  this  higher  praise  given  to 
David,  in  the  morning  the  evil  spirit  was  upon  him 
again  (v.  10),  and,  strange  to  say,  "  he  prophesied  in 
the  midst  of  the  house" — to  which  words  it  is  hard 
in  this  case  to  give  any  other  sense  than  that  of  pour- 
ing out  the  impulses  of  his  excited,  half-maddened  soul 
— his  utterances  taking  their  character  from  the  spirit 
which  indited  them,  and  evincing  this  character  by 
the  deeds  they  prompted  him  to  do.  David  was  called 
in  to  soothe  Saul's  mania  with  his  harp ;  but  w^th 
small  success  if  we  may  judge  from  Saul's  hurling  his 
javelin  to  smite  him.  "  David  avoided  out  of  his  pres- 
ence," i.  e.j  turned  himself  (Heb.)  suddenly  so  that  the 

shaft  missed  him,  twice. Saul's  next  policy  w^as  to 

put  David  into  the  thickest  perils  of  war  in  hope  that 
he  might  fall  by  the  hand  of  the  Philistines.  Vain 
hope!  for  the  Lord  was  with  David  to  shield  him  from 
the  deadly  arrow.  This  policy  served  only  to  bring 
him  the  more  fully  and  favorably  before  the  people, 
and  to  inspire  anew  their  love  and  confidence  as  to 
David.  Thus  every  movement  Saul  made  aggravated 
his  trouble.  "  When  he  saw  that  David  behaved  him- 
self very  wisely  he  was  afraid  of  him"  (v.  15).  The 
historian  makes  Saul's  fear  of  David  very  prominent, 
naming  it  even  the  third  time  in  this  one  chapter  (vs. 
12,  15,  29).  "  Fear"  is  altogether  the  right  word,  yet  it 
was  not  fear  that  David  would  take  or  even  plot 
against  his  life,  but  that  he  would  inevitably  have  the 
hearts  of  the  people ;  would  eclipse  the  honor  of  him- 
self as  king,  and  ultimatel}'  become  king  by  virtue  of 
his  greatly  superior  merit.  The  bitter  self-conscious- 
ness of  being  forsaken  of  God  and  unworthy  to  reign, 
and  a  sense  of  David's  superior  worth  to  which  lie 
could  not  blind  his  eyes,  conspired  to  make  him  the 
most  wretched  of  men. 

Saul  plighted  his  eldest  daughter  to  David  to  induce 
him  to  expose  his  life  in  forays  upon  the  Philistines; 
then  violated  his  pledge  ;  then,  hoping  to  succeed  the 
second  time,  gave  him  Michal — but  only  to  fail  again 
in  compassing  David's  death.  All  these  events  brought 
David  the  more  fully  before  the  people,  and  brought 
fresh  trouble  upon  the  jealous  heart  of  Saul. In  v. 


DAVID  AND  SAUL.  14.9 

30  we  read :  "  'Bhe  princes  of  the  Philistines  went 
forth,"  i.  e.,  to  war  Avith  Saul ;  and  "  it  came  to  pass 
ivhen  they  went  forth,"  i.  e.,  whenever — as  often  as — 
they  went  forth,  it  served  to  set  forth  David's  superior 
tact  and  wisdom,  and  to  place  him  before  the  people  as 
one  worthy  to  be  their  king. 

Chap.  19  presents  Saul,  not  only  plotting  and  person- 
ally attempting  to  take  David's  life,  but  commanding 
his  servants  and  even  his  son  Jonathan  to  kill  him. 
Jonathan  nobly  expostulates  with  his  father,  and  at 
first  with  apparent  success.  But  Saul  waxed  worse  and 
worse,  so  that  Jonathan's  subsequent  expostulations 
proved  unavailing  (1  Sam.  20 :  30-34).  After  this  first 
success  Saul  seems  to  have  been  quiet,  till  a  new  occa- 
sion of  jealousy  arose ;  "  war  again  "  (v.  8)  ;  David  went 
out  and  fought,  and  slew  the  Philistines  with  great 
slaughter,  and  they  fled.  Then  the  evil  spirit  of  jeal- 
ousy came  again  upon  Saul ;  David  played  before  him  ; 
Saul  again  hurled  his  javelin  to  kill  him;  with  no 
better  success  than  before.     David  not  only  evaded  the 

shaft,  but  escaped  from  the  house. Next  we  learn 

that  David  was  not  safe  from  Saul  even  in  his  own 
house,  for  Saul  sent  men  there  to  watch  the  house  by 
night  and  slay  him  in  the  morning.  By  the  artful 
policy  of  his  wife  Michal  he  eluded  these  men  and 
made  his  escape  to  Samuel  in  Ramah. 

Plere  we  may  begin  to  find  definite  points  of  coinci- 
dence between  this  history  of  David,  written  probably 
by  Samuel  or  by  Gad  (David's  seer),  and  his  own 
Psalms.  Ps.  59  is  definitely  located  at  this  point  in 
his  history — "  When  Saul  sent  and  they  watched  the 
house  to  kill  him."  Here,  then,  we  may  raise  the  ques- 
tion— What  were  the  thoughts  of  his  heart  under  these 
stern  and  sore  afflictions  ?  Did  he  look  upward  to  God 
for  help  ?     Did  he  prove  the  priceless  comfort  of  prayer 

in    human    emergencies? He    himself    gives    the 

answer.     "Deliver  me  from  mine  enemies,  0  my  God; 

defend  me   from  them  that  rise  up  against  me." 

Greatly  to  his  comfort,  he  is  conscious  of  innocence  as 
toward  Saul.    ''  They  lie  in  wait  for  my  life,  not  for  my 

transgression,  nor  for  my  sin,  0  Lord." He  thinks  of 

them  as  going  round  the  house  by  night  and  comjoares 
them  to  the  oriental  dog ;  but  of  himself  he  says,  "  I 
will  sing  of  thy  power ;  I  will  sing  aloud  of  thy  mercy 


150  DAVID  AND  SAUL. 

in  the  morning."     Sweetly,  calmly,  his  soul  abode  in 

peaceful  trust  toward   his  Great  Deliverer. When 

we  follow  David  from  one  scene  of  vengeful  persecution 
to  another,  and  our  hearts  are  stirred  to  deepest  sym- 
pathy for  him,  let  it  be  a  precious  consolation  to  us,  as 
it  was  to  him,  that  he  never  sank  under  those  burdens ; 
that  he  was  not  left  to  bear  them  alone ;  that,  looking 
upward,  his  eye  always  rested  on  One  whose  heart  was 
quick  to  sympathize  and  whose  uplifted  arm  was 
mighty  to  save. 

Next  he  is  with  Samuel  at  the  prophet-college  in 
Ramah,  and  tells  him  all  that  Saul  had  done  to  him. 
It  was  here  that  messengers  sent  by  Saul  to  take  David's 
life — hard,  bloody  men — three  companies  in  succession, 
were  seized  with  the  spirit  of  prophesying  as  they  saw 
and  heard  the  sons  of  the  prophets  prophesying,  and 
quite  forgot  their  bloody  errand.  At  last  Saul  camo 
himself,  only  to  fall  under  the  same  mysterious  (or  per- 
haps we  should  say)  sympathetic  influence,  and  he  too 
prophesied,  and  his  purposes  of  murder  Avere  for  the 
time  quenched. 

David's  flight  to  Samuel  at  Ramah  suggests  how 
naturally  he  sought  sympathy  and  help  from  the  spe- 
cially religious  communities  and  men  in  Israel.  It  is  not 
certain  tliat  they  had  met  before,  since  the  anointing  at 
Bethlehem.  David  had  a  long  story  to  rehearse,  of  fierce 
persecution  from  Saul ;  of  constant  plotting  against  his 
life ;  of  hair-breadth  escapes  ;  of  faith  and  trust  in  God ; 
sorely  tried,  yet  never  altogether  sinking.  What  Samuel 
said  to  him  after  hearing  his  story  is  not  on  record,  j^et 
is  not  hard  to  suppose.  Some  words  of  patriarchal 
sympathy;  some  fresh  inspiration  toward  abiding  ftiith 
in  God ;  some  new  assurance  of  coming  forth  at  last  with 
God's  peaceful  blessing  and  the  throne  of  Israel — such 
help  from  the  aged  Samuel  must  have  made  this  meet- 
ing memorable  through  many  otherwise  desolate  and 
weary  days  of  David's  perilous  flight  before  Saul  and 
his  bloody  "  messengers." 

Next  we  see  David  fleeing  from  Ramah  and  in  deep 
consultation  with  Jonathan  touching  his  own  personal 
safety,  and  the  designs  of  Saul  upon  his  life.  Jona- 
than's friendship  for  David  was  true  and  most  self-sacri- 
ficing, as  may  be  seen  wherever  he  comes  to  view.  The 
feast  of  the   new  moon  would  naturally  bring  Saul's 


DAVID   AND   SAUL.  151 

family  together — David  included:  will  it  bo  safe  for 
David  to  come  ?  Jonathan  will  sound  his  father  and  see, 
and  then  inform  his  friend.  In  the  event  he  found 
Saul  bitter  and  desperate,  not  to  say  infuriated  with 
madness,  so  that  he  even  attempted  Jonathan's  life  as 

he  had  repeatedly  the  life  of  David. There   is  no 

longer  peace  or  safety  for  David  in  Saul's  house.  He 
lied  next  to  Nob,  then  the  location  of  the  tabernacle 
and  its  services,  and  the  residence  of  a  large  number  of 
priests.*  David  reached  the  city  with  but  few  at- 
tendants ;  came  before  Ahimelech  the  priest  alone  and 
hungry,  and  asked  for  bread.  There  being  none  on 
hand  save  the  show-bread  which  had  been  removed 
that  its  place  might  be  supplied  with  fresh  baked 
loaves,  David  asked  and  obtained  this — a  case  to  which 
our  Lord  alludes  (Matt,  12 :  3,  4),  to  illustrate  the  prin- 
ciple that  exigencies  sometimes  justify  the  neglect  of 

usages  merely  ceremonial  and  ritual. This  transient 

stay  at  Nob  brought  disaster  upon  the  priests  resident 
there,  and  fresh  sorrow  to  David.  Their  friendly  aid  to 
him  in  the  gift  of  bread  and  of  Goliath's  sword,  being 
reported  to  Saul  by  Doeg,  brought  down  on  them  his 
cruel  vengeance  through  the  bloody  hand  of  this 
treacherous  Edomite.  Doeg  also  charged  Ahimelech 
with  asking  counsel  of  the  Lord  for  David,  but  this  the 
priest  denied  (v.  15),  and  it  must  be  put  to  the  account 
of  misapprehension  or  of  slander.  David's  Psalm  on 
this  occasion  (Ps.  52)  charges  Doeg  with  unmitigated 

deceit  and  falsehood  (vs.  2-4). Saul's  vengeance  was 

most  unreasonable  and  cruel,  showing  what  a  mastery 
his  madness  of  jealousy  against  David  had  gained  over  all 
the  better  elements  of  his  character.  The  impressions 
made  upon  David  by  this  transaction  he  has  given,  at 
least,  in  part,  in  Ps.  52,  in  which  the  bloody  and  lying 
spirit  of  Doeg  stands  in  the  foreground.  It  is  quite  re- 
markable that  this  Psalm  refrains  from  the  least  ap- 
parent allusion  to  Saul.  Was  this  silence  due  to  his 
delicate  relations  to  his  sovereign  ?  As  he  would  not 
lift  up  his  hand  against  the  Lord's  anointed,  so 
also  did  he  withhold  tongue  and  pen  from  the  least 
utterance  that  might  be   to  Saul's  detriment?     The 

■•'•Nob  was  situated  very  near  Jerusalem.  No  trace  of  its  site  hns 
been  found,  but  it  must  have  been  within  sight  of  Jerusalem,  on  the 
northorn  slope  of  the  Mt.  of  Olives.     Sec  Isa.  10:  32. 


152  DAVID  AND  SAUL. 

fact  is  at  least  a  marvelous  instance  of  self-control,  and 
i:)robably  we  should  say  of  profound  sagacity. 

Next  David  fled  his  country  and  sought  refuge  with 
Achish  king  of  Gath  (1  8am.  21 :  10-15).  To  his  aston- 
ishment and  alarm  he  found  that  he  was  but  too  well 
known  there  as  the  greatest  of  Israel's  warriors  against 
the  Philistines.  Even  the  words  of  that  song  of 
triumph — "Saul  hath  slain  his  thousands,  and  David 
his  ten  thousands" — fell  on  his  ear,  and  "he  was  sore 
afraid  of  Achish  king  of  Gath."  In  this  emergency  he 
feigned  insanity.  As  the  Hebrew  expressively  puts  it, 
"  He  changed  his  good  sense  " — seemed  to  have  lost  it — 
acted  as  one  who  had.  He  scribbled  on  the  doors  and 
let  his  slaver  run  down  his  beard,  so  that  the  king 
rebuked  his  servants  for  suffering  such  a  man  about 
the  palace,  and  David  escaped  the  pending  danger. 

Two  precious  Psalms  have  come  down  to  us,  disclosing 
the  thoughts  and  experiences  of  David  amid  these  try- 
ing scenes;  viz.,  Ps.  34  and  5Q,  (See  my  Notes  on  these 
Psalms).  If  the  question  be  raised,  What  did  David 
think  of  the  policy  of  feigning  insanity  as  a  means  of 
personal  safety  before  Achish  ? — perhaps  the  utmost  wc 
can  say  is  that  he  does  not  recommend  it,  nor  is  any 
word  dropped  which  necessarily  implies  that  he  con- 
demned it.  Ps.  34  glows  with  thanksgiving  and  trust ; 
exhorts  to  well-doing  and  against  "  speaking  guile " 
(v.  13) ;  and  certainly  does  not  distinctly  assume  that 
his  own  methods  of  self-protection  were  against  his  con- 
science, or  inconsistent  with  entire  trust  in  God. 

Escaped  from  Achish,  David  sought  refuge  tempora- 
rily in  the  mountain  fastnesses  of  Judah,  making  the 
caveof  Adullam  (a  few  miles  south-east  from  Bethlehem), 
his  retreat.  Some  of  his  heart-experiences  during  these 
days  of  exile  and  isolation  appear  in  Ps.  57,  the  head- 
ing of  which  refers  to  his  fleeing  from  Saul  and  finding 
his  home  in  the  cave.  A  lofty  tone  of  exultation  in 
God  is  the  key-note  of  this  Psalm — in  striking  contrast 
with  the  gloom  and  desolation  of  his  external  surround- 
ings. "  Be  thou  exalted,  O  God,  above  tlie  heavens, 
and  let  thy  glory  be  above  all  the  earth."  "  My  heart 
is  fixed,  O  God,  m}^  heart  is  fixed;  I  will  sing  and  give 
praise.  Awake,  all  ye  noblest  powers ;  awake,  psaltery 
and  harp;  I  will  awake  early.  I  will  praise  thee,  O 
Lord,  among  the  nations,"  etc.    Would  it  not  have  been 


DAVID  AND   SAUL.  153 

at  once  strange  and  inspiring  to  hear  this  fugitive  exile 
praising  God  with  the  sweet  tones  of  psaltery  and  harp 
in  those  deep  glens  and  among  the  dark,  damp  caverns 
of  Judah's  mountains?  But  there  is  no  place  on  this 
earth  where  the  presence  and  consolations  of  God  can 
not  waken  joy  in  the  souls  that  love  and  trust  him. 
Verily  this  is  the  grandest  moral  sublimity — to  rise 
above  the  depressing  influence  of  the  darkest  surround- 
ings and  triumph  in  God  only !  It  reminds  us  of  Hab- 
akkuk,  amid  prospective  scenes  of  famine  and  dire  cap- 
tivity, singing,  "  Though  the  fig-tree  do  not  blossom  .  . 
.  .  .  yet  will  I  rejoice  in  the  Lord;"  and  of  Paul  and 
Silas — their  flesh  still  raw  from  the  scourge — with  prob- 
able death  before  them  in  the  morning,  yet  singing 
praises  to  God  from  the  depths  of  their  dungeon.  So 
the  story  of  David  in  the  cave  of  Adullam  and  among 
the  fastnesses  of  Judah's  mountains  is  only  half  told 
without  the  help  of  his  Ps.  57.  To  see  the  whole  of  a 
man,  we  need  to  see  both  his  external  surroundings  and 
the  uprising  of  his  heart  to  God  above  all  their  depres- 
s-ion  and  gloom. 

In  this  period  of  David's  history  we  may  locate  also 
Psalms  55  and  58  —  the  former  opening  to  view  the 
great  deep  of  his  heart-trials,  yet  not  less,  his  per- 
petual resort  to  God  in  prayer  for  help,  and  his  placid 
trust,  evinced  in  sweetly  casting  his  burden  on  the 
Lord.  In  the  latter,  his  soul  is  keenly  sensitive  to  the 
sharp  injustice  under  which  he  suffers  from  men  in 
power,  whom  he  warns  solemnly  of  their  responsibility 
to  the  righteous  Judge  of  all.  These  Psalms  give  us 
yet  more  of  that  inside  view  of  character  which  so  finely 
supplements  and  interprets  the  external  facts  of  David's 
history. 

This  chapter  22,  shows  us  the  classes  of  men  whocom- 
posed  David's  band — adventurers  and  personal  friends; 
viz.,  every  one  that  was  in  distress,  or  in  debt,  or  dis- 
contented, literally,  hitter  of  soul ;— such  gathered  about 
him  and  followed  him  as  their  captain,  making  his  for- 
tunes their  own.  His  father's  family  are  now  with  him 
and  other  personal  friends;  others  doubtless  who  had 
become  alienated  from  Saul;  some  because  they  had 
faith  in  David  as  the  "  coming  man  "  of  the  kingdom ; 
and  some  who,  being  in  bad  case,  assumed  that  any 
change  must  improve  their  condition :  such  were  tho 


154  DAVID  AND  SAUL. 

classes  who  made  up  this  somewhat  motley  band. It 

must  have  been  specially  trying  to  David  that  there 
were  not  more  among  them  who  sympathized  with  his 
faith  and  patience  under  his  call  to  the  kingdom  and 
his  long  waiting  till  God's  hand  should  pave  his  way  to 
the  throne. 

At  this  juncture  David  disappeared  for  a  while  from 
the  eye  of  Saul,  having  made  his  way,  perhaps,  unob- 
served, into  the  land  of  Moab.  The  fact  that  his  grand- 
mother Ruth  was  of  that  land,  coupled  with  the  hostile 
attitude  of  Saul  toward  Moab  (1  Sam.  14 :  47)  may  have 
secured  for  him  a  favorable  reception  there.  His  special 
request  to  the  king  was  that  his  aged  father  and 
mother  might  find  a  refuge  there  until  the  present 
crisis  in  his  fortunes  should  be  past.  This  seems  to 
have  been  readily  granted.  David  and  his  men  also 
found  a  stronghold  in  that  country  where  they  made 
their  camp,  until  called  back  to  the  land  of  Judah  by  a 
special  message  sent  him  through  the  prophet  Gad 
(v.  5).  It  is  supposable  that  Gad  was  sent  by  Samuel, 
direct  from  the  school  of  the  prophets  at  Ramah,  and 
that,  having  fulfilled  this  mission,  he  returned  to  his  col- 
lege.  Gad  appears  in  David's  subsequent  history  as 

"  David's  Seer  "  in  God's  messages  to  David,  because  of 
his  numbering  the  people  (2  Sam.  24:  11-19);  as  his 
adviser  (together  wdth  Nathan)  in  organizing  the 
temple  worship  (2  Chron.  29 :  25) ;  and  as  his  historian, 
coupled  in  this  service  with  Samuel  and  with  Nathan 
(1  Chron.  29:  29). 

David's  return  to  Judah  brought  him  again  within 
the  knowledge  of  Saul  whose  cabinet  meeting  on  the 
occasion  is  on  record  (vs.  6-11).  His  servants,  mem- 
bers of  his  royal  cabinet,  seem  to  have  been  mostly 
Benjamites.  Hence  the  style  of  his  appeal :  If  David, 
of  Judah's  tribe,  comes  to  the  throne,  will  ye,  Ben- 
jamites, stand  any  chance  at  all  to  keep  the  fat  offices 
ye  hold  under  me  ?  Then,  as  if  he  were  indeed  a  much 
abused  man,  he  says — "  That  all  of  you  have  conspired 
against  me,  and  there  is  none  that  showeth  me  that 
my  son  (.Jonathan)  hath  made  a  league  with  the  son 
of  Jesse ;  and  there  is  none  of  you  that  is  sorry  for  me 
or  showeth  me  that  my  son  hath  stirred  up  my  servant 
against  me  to  lie  in  wait  as  at  this  day  (v.  8)  ?  "  Un- 
easy lies  the  head  that  wears  a  crown ; "  fear  and  jeal- 


DAVID   AND   SAUL.  155 

ousy  had  upset  the  balance  of  his  mind,  and  put  dis- 
eased, distorted  fancies  in  the  place  of  realities.  Miser- 
able man! He  is  now  in  a  mood  for  bloody  vengeance 

upon  somebody!  Just  here  Doeg  the  Edomite  is  on 
hand  to  put  fuel  to  the  fire  of  Saul's  rage,  charging 
Ahimelech  and  the  priests  at  Nob  with  conspiracy 
against  Saul.  Saul  summons  them  all  before  him,  and 
— too  infuriated  to  listen  with  the  least  candor  to  their 
defense — commands  and  witnesses  their  causeless  mur- 
der— eighty-five  priests  in  one  day;  and  only  one — 
Abiathar — fortunately  not  with  them  at  the  hour  of 
slaughter — escaped.  From  him  David  learned  the 
sad  tale.  Thenceforward  Abiathar  the  priest  became 
David's  companion  in  tribulation,  and  his  fast  friend, 
till  the  rebellion  of  Adonijah. 

In  1  Sam.  23,  we  have  new  scenes  in  this  great 
drama.  Keilah,  a  walled  town,  its  site  no  longer 
traceable,  but  associated  (Josh.  15  :  44)  with  Achzib 
and  Mareshah,  and  not  many  miles  south  and  east 
from  Gath ;  also  the  *'  wilderness  of  Ziph,"  in  the 
vicinity  of  Hebron ;  were  the  geographical  localities. 
The  "  wilderness  of  Ziph  "  suggests  the  contemporary 
Ps.  54,  of  which  the  heading  is — "A  Psalm  of  David 
when  the  Ziphims  came  and  said  to  Saul,  Doth  not 
David  hide  himself  with  us?"  The  history  shows 
that  the  men  of  Ziph  came  to  Saul  with  this  message 
twice.  See  1  Sam.  23  :  19,  and  26 :  1.  Constant  prayer 
for  help  and  precious  trust  that  God  will  help,  are 
the  theme  of  this  sweet  song.  Outwardly  every  view 
before  the  eye  of  David  was  dark  and  frowning;  but 
looking  upward — lo,  God  was  there — a  very  present 
help  in  every  hour  of  need. 

That  the  men  of  Keilah,  suffering  from  plundering 
bands  of  Philistines,  should  have  sought  help  from 
David  rather  than  from  Saul  indicates  his  standing  be- 
fore the  people  and  the  service  rendered  to  the  country 
by  his  band  of  armed  men.  It  astonishes  us  that  Keilah, 
saved  by  David,  is  so  ungrateful  as  to  consent  to  sur- 
render him  to  the  power  of  Saul.  The  fact  gives  us 
a  new  sense  of  the  trials  incident  to  this  period  of 
David's  history.  He  owed  his  safety  to  the  forwarn- 
ings  of  danger  which  he  obtained  from  the  Lord,  at 
one  time  through  the  prophet  Gad;  at  other  times 
through  the  priests  with  the  linen  ephod. In  the 


15G  DAVID   AND   SAUL. 

wilderness  of  Ziph  Saul's  host  came  so  near  to  David 
that  Jonathan  made  it  convenient  to  have  a  personal 
interview  with  him,  in  which  they  entered  again  into 
solemn  mutual  covenant  (vs.  16-18).  Jonathan  ere 
this  had  learned  in  some  way  that  the  Lord  had  des- 
ignated David  for  the  throne  of  Israel.  It  was  his 
fond  hope  that  himself  might  be  second  in  authority 
under  him.  For  some  reason  the  Lord  was  not  in  this 
plan,  and  it  failed. 

Tidings  that  the  Philistines  had  invaded  the  land 
recalled  Saul  and  his  army  from  this  pursuit  of  David, 
and  once  more  relieved  him  from  impending  peril. 

These  providental  escapes  from  Saul  are  thought  by 
many  critics  to  have  been  the  occasion  of  Ps.  ol.  See 
my  Notes  on  this  Psalm.  While  the  allusions  in  this 
Psalm  are  so  general  that  it  may  apply  to  far  other  cir- 
cumstances than  those  of  David,  yet  its  application  to 
these  scenes  of  his  history  is  natural  and  eas}^,  and 
gives  us  a  precious  view  of  the  fullness  and  strength 
of  his  trust  in  Israel's  God.  It  is  refreshing  to  read  the 
Psalm  in  connection  with  these  terribly  trying  scenes 
of  David's  life.  Oh,  the  blessedness  of  having  such  a 
God  for  one's  unfailing  Friend,  and  such  a  faith  in  his 
loving  and  evermore  protecting  providence! 

The  special  incident  in  chap.  24,  is  another  march  of 
Saul  into  the  hill  country  of  Judah  with  three  thousand 
men  in  pursuit  of  David.  Engedi,  David's  rock-fortress, 
overhangs  the  Dead  Sea,  about  midway  from  end  to  end 
on  its  western  shore.  It  is  a  point  exceedingly  diliicult 
of  access,  and  admirably  chosen  for  David's  purposes  of 
concealment  and  safety.  Here,  through  one  of  those 
divine  providences  which  the  Lord  knows  so  well  how 
to  order,  Saul  turns  aside  for  private  purposes,  alone, 
into  the  very  cave  in  which  David  and  his  men  lay 
secreted,  and  thus  threw  himself  unwittingly  into  the 
hands  of  the  man  he  was  seeking  to  kill.  David 
advanced  and  cut  off  the  skirt  of  Saul's  robe.  Then, 
calling  Saul's  attention  to  the  fact  he  made  him  see 
that  he  was  truly  his  friend,  and  could  not  be  induced 
by  any  consideration  to  take  his  life.  For  the  moment, 
Saul's  heart  was  touched  by  this  magnanimity,  and 
seems  to  have  been  grateful  for  the  sparing  of  his  life. 
Could  it  be  possible  that  this  David  was  indeed  inno- 
cent, and  that  the  charges  brought  against  him  were 


DAVID   AND   SAUL.  157 

vilely  Hlanderous  and  false  ? Saul,  apparently  aware 

that  David  would  one  day  be  king,  improved  this 
opportunity  for  a  covenant  binding  David  to  spare  his 
family  when  he  should  be  among  the  dead.  Then 
Saul  went  home  ;  but  he  did  not  invite  David  to  resume 
his  old  place  at  his  court ;  nor  did  David  see  any  other 
path  of  safety  for  himself  save  with  his  warriors  again 
in  the  strongholds  of  the  hill  country  of  Judah. 

In  connection  with  the  scenes  of  this  chapter  24,  and 
with  the  analogous  scenes  of  chap.  26,  it  were  well  to 
read  Ps.  35 — a  noble  Psalm,  showing  that  David's  lofty 
magnanimity  in  twice  sparing  the  life  of  Saul  inter- 
linked itself  with  his  piety  toward  God.  The  deepest 
sentiments  of  his  soul  held  that  "  vengeance  belongeth 
to  the  Lord,"  and  that  the  highest  human  wisdom 
leaves  it  there  for  God  to  repay  in  his  own  time.  He, 
therefore,  said — let  me  never  attempt  to  pluck  from  the 
Almighty  hand  this  sublime  prerogative  !  Trying,  in- 
deed, it  is  to  be  cruelly  slandered — trying  to  have  one's 
life  hunted  and  imperiled  for  no  fault ;  but  God  knows 
it  all,  and  will  right  the  wrongs  of  his  waiting  children 

according  to  his  infinite  wisdom  and  love. See  my 

Notes  on  Ps.  35. 

Chap.  25  records  (v.  1)  the  death  of  the  prophet 
Samuel,  and  then  recites  the  experiences  of  David 
with  Nabal,  a  rich  but  crusty  shepherd  of  Mt.  Carmel, 
in  south-eastern  Judah.  This  contact  resulted  in 
developing  Nabal's  churlishness  and  folly,  and,  also  the 
excellent  good  sense  and  wisdom  of  Abigail  his  wife, 
terminating  ultimately  in  Nabal's  death,  and  the  mar- 
riage of  David  and  Abigail.  It  is  supposable — not  cer- 
tain— that  this  man  Nabal  suggested  to  David  his 
Psalms  14  and  53,  in  both  of  which  he  draws  the  pic- 
ture of  the  Hebrew  ^''nahaV^ — the  fool.  See  my  Notes 
on  Ps.  14.  This  man  Nabal  was  wicked  and  mean 
enough  to  inspire  in  a  soul  noble  as  David's  the  utter- 
ances which  appear  in  these  kindred  Psalms.  The  his- 
tory shows  that  David's  abhorrence  of  Nabal's  character 
was  keen  and  strong.  Not  unnaturally  his  subsequent 
reflections  upon  it  led  him  to  these  generalizations 
upon  human  de2:)ravity. 

In  chap.  26,  we  find  a  series  of  events  bearing  a 
striking  analogy  with  those  recorded  in  chap.  24 — alike 
in  these  points:  that  Saul  is  brought  most  completely 


158  DAVID   AND    SAUL. 

into  the  power  of  David;  that  David's  servants  sug- 
gest and  advise  the  taking  of  Saul's  life,  but  he  mag- 
nanimously refuses  and  will  not  harm  a  hair  of  his 
head ;  that  he  takes  a  tangible  proof  of  these  facts ;  that 
when  the  facts  are  brought  before  Saul,  he  is  deeply 
affected,  and  even  more  fully  than  before,  confesses  his 
folly  and  sin  toward  David.  These  scenes,  however,  are 
unlike  in  too  many  points  to  admit  the  supposition 
that  the  basis  of  fact  was  only  one  and  the  same.  The 
geographical  localities  are  unlike  ;  the  first  at  Engedi — 
the  second  in  the  wilderness  of  Ziph:  in  the  first  Saul 
was  alone;  in  the  second  he  lay  with  his  chief  warriors 
about  him  :  in  the  first  he  was  not  asleep — in  the 
second  he  was  :  in  the  first,  David's  attendants  are  not 
named,  but  in  the  second,  Abishai  was  wdth  him :  in 
the  first,  the  thing  taken  away  to  certify  to  the  fact 
was  a  part  of  the  skirt  of  Saul's  robe— in  the  second, 
Saul's  spear  and  a  cruse  of  water  from  his  bolster  :  and, 
to  mention  no  more,  the  reported  conversations  between 
David  and  Saul,  though  alike  in  general  drift  were 
quite  unlike  in  the  particulars.*  It  is  also  noticeable 
that  in  the  last  case  Saul  not  only  said,  "I  have 
sinned,"  but  added — "  Return,  my  son  David,  for  I  will 
no  more  do  thee  harm,  because  my  soul  [life]  was  pre- 
cious in  thine  eyes  this  day;  behold,  I  have  played  the 
fool  and  erred  exceedingly"  (v.  21).  But  David  had 
known  Saul  too  well  to  put  confidence  in  him,  or  trust 
himself  one  day  in  his  hands.  Indeed  the  next  chap- 
ter opens  with  words  from  David  more  despondent 
than  we  have  elsewhere  met  with;  "David  said  in  his 
lieart,  I  shall  now  perish  one  day  by  the  hand  of  Saul." 
Consequently,  this  chapter  27,  narrates  his  second  flight 
to  Achish  king  of  Gath,  to  find  refuge  again  among  the 
Philistines.  Sadly  for  David  this  course  subjected  him 
to  the  moral  strain  of  an  ever  present  temptation  to 

*In  David's  speech  (v.  19)   we  read — "If  the  Lord  have   stirred 
thee    up   against    me,    let    him    accept    an     offering."        But  how 

could  David  speak  thus  of  the  Lord? The  answer  is,  in  the  same 

sense  in  which  the  evil  spirit  upon  Saul  is  said  to  have  come  from 
the  Lord — i.  e.,  by  a  simply  permissive  agency,  and  this  at  once  re- 
tributive in  view  of  Saul's  great  sin,  and  in  harmony  with  the  natural 
laws  under  which  human  depravity  works  in  the  case  of  hardened, 
desperate  sinners.  David's  meaning,  therefore,  is — If  thou  hast  pro- 
voked the  Lord  to  give  thee  up  to  such  madness  of  passion,  repent 
and  conciliate  him  with  sacrifice  and  oflFering, 


DAVID   AND  SAUL.  159 

deception— as  we  shall  see. He.  and  his  600  took 

their  families  and  effects,  and,  therefore,  naturally- 
sought  a  city  somewhat  secluded  for  their  residence. 
They  were  assigned  to  Ziklag,  which  had  belonged  to 
Judah;  then  to  Simeon;  then  fell  into  Philistine  hands; 

but  from  this  time  onward  was  a  city  of  Judah. 

The  passage  (v.  6) ;  ''  Wherefore  Ziklag  pertaineth 
unto  the  kings  of  Judah  to  this  day,"  was  manifestly 
written  after  Judah  had  kings  of  its  own,  commencing 
with  Kehoboam;  and  before  the  captivity  when  their 
control  ceased.  But  these  words  were  probably  intro- 
duced by  some  compiler,  and  are  not  from  the  original 
author  of  this  book. 

We  notice  (on  v.  7)  that  David's  stay  in  the  country 
(the  fields,  not  cities)  of  the  Philistines  was  one  year 
and  four  months — the  first  note  of  duration  we  have 
met  with  between  David's  anointing  and  Saul's  death. 

Why  did  David  and  his  men  invade  the  Geshurites 
and  Amalekites  (vs.  8-12)  ?  Perhaps  in  self-defense ; 
perhaps  for  subsistence,  and  because  they  were  the 
national  enemies  of  Israel.  These  tribes  were  on 
friendly  terms  with  the  Philistines,  so  that  David  finds 
it  expedient  to  mislead  Achish  when  he  inquired  upon 

whom  he  had  been  making  an  inroad. In  v.  11  we 

may  omit  the  word  ^'tidings,^^  for  which  we  have  no 
equivalent  in  Hebrew,  and  read — David  saved  neither 
man  nor  woman  alive  to  bring  them  to  Gath,  i.  e.,  as 
captives ;  lest  they  should  tell  too  much,  or  their  nation- 
ality be  known.  So  Achish  retained  all  confidence  in 
David  and  was  quite  ready  to  take  him  and  his  band 
into  the  pending  invasion  of  Israel  —  a  fact  which 
made  the  condition  of  David  intensly  critical.  Shall 
he  break  friendship  with  Achish,  or  shall  he  go  with 
him  and  fight  against  Saul  and  Israel?  Unless  God 
interpose  to  help  in  this  dilemma,  who  can  ? 

Chap.  27  opens  with  preparations  among  the  Philis- 
tine lords  for  vigorous  war  upon  Israel.  Achish  thinks 
highly  of  David  as  a  warrior,  and  assures  him  that  he 
and  his  men  must  go.  David's  reply  is  skillfully  in- 
definite :  "  Surely  thou  shalt  see  what  thy  servant  can 
do  "  (v.  2).     Achish  is  so  much  pleased  that  he  would 

fain  make  David  and  his  band  his  own  body-guard. 

In  the  sequel  (chap.  29)  the  lords  object  so  decidedly 
and  so  reasonably  against  David's  going  with  them  that 


160  SAUL  AND  THE  WITCH  AT  ENDOR. 

he  is  dismissed,  greatly  to  his  relief  no  doubt,  and  for- 
tunately, since  it  relieved  him  from  the  temptation  to 
perpetual  duplicity  toward  Achish. 

At  this  point  the  history  of  this  military  expedition 
is  suspended  for  the  purpose  of  narrating  the  experi- 
ences of  King  Saul  (28 :  3-25). 

The  hosts  of  Philistia  are  much  further  north  than 
usual — Shunem,  the  site  of  their  camp,  being  within 
the  tribal  limits  of  Issachar,  on  the  west  point  of  Little 
Hermon,  nearly  four  miles  north  from  Jezreel.  Saul 
mustered  his  army  on  the  mountains  of  Gilboa  which 
skirt  the  eastern  portion  of  the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon 
— fifty  miles  north  by  east  from  Jerusalem.  "Three 
miles  north  of  them  is  the  parallel  chain  of  Little  Her- 
mon. These  two  heights  mark  the  position  of  the  two 
armies;  Saul  and  his  men  on  the  western  heights  of 
Gilboa;  the  Philistines  on  those  of  Hermon.  Endor  is 
beyond  Hermon  on  the  northern  slope.  Saul,  not  with- 
out risk  and  toil,  passes  by  night  across  the  valley  and 
over  Hermon  beyond  the  camp  of  the  Philistines  to  con- 
sult the  sorceress  at  Endor."  ^ 

The  historian  again  reminds  us  that  Samuel  was 
dead  (v.  3),  and  states  that  Saul  had  exterminated  from 
the  land  those  who  had  familiar  spirits  and  the  wizards. 
When  he  saw  the  immense  and  formidable  hosts  of  the 
Philistines,  "he  w^as  afraid,  and  his  heart  trembled" 
(v.  5).  In  his  distress  he  sought  counsel  and  help  from 
the  Lord,  but  found  no  answer,  neither  by  dreams,  nor 
by  the  Urim  (the  linen  Ephod  of  the  priest)  nor  by 
prophets — all  these  usual  methods  of  obtaining  answers 
from  God  failing  him  utterly. 

In  this  emergency  Saul  determined  to  consult  some 
woman  "  who  had  a  familiar  spirit,"  i.  e.,  who  had  some 
supposed  spirit  so  under  her  control  as  to  come  at  her  cally 
even  as  the  servants  of  a  family  come  at  the  call  of 
their  master.  The  original  Hebrew  word  is  used  for  a 
bottle^  the  analogy  being  apparently  this — that  as  a  bot- 
tle supposes  something  contained  within  it,  so  the  body 
of  the  sorceress  is  supposed  to  have  some  personal  pres- 
ence and  force  within,  other  than  human.  This  anal- 
ogy suggests  ventriloquism  as  the  art  by  which  the 
sorceress  practiced  upon  the  credulity  and  superstition 
of  the  people ;  the  pretense  being  that  this  other  (ap- 

*  Coleman's  Text  Book  and  Atlas,  p.  115. 


SAUL  AND  THE  WITCH  AT  ENDOR.  161 

parent)  voice  is  that  of  the  spirit. Saul  said :  Find 

me  a  woman  ;  implyins:  that  this  art  was  specially  prac- 
ticed by  their  sex.  The  narrative  assumes  that  this 
sorceress  of  Endor  pretended  to  call  up  the  spirits  of 
the  dead — this  power  or  skill  being  commonly  styled 
''  necromancy."  By  the  art  of  ventriloquism  sounds 
were  produced  Avhich  seemed  to  come  up  from  the  under 
world — out  of  caves  or  of  deep  recesses.  Thus,  natu- 
rally, necromancy  and  ventriloquism  were  twin  arts, 
operated  together,  the  one  by  means  of  the  other. 

The  leading  facts  of  this  narrative  (vs.  11-19)  are 
clearly  stated  and  easily  understood.  I  take  the  most 
obvious  sense  to  be  the  true  one,  and  must  believe, 
therefore,  that  the  sorceress  called  for  Samuel,  and  that 
Samuel  in  fact  came  and  talked  with  Saul,  uttering 
words  most  true  and  terribly  appalling.  Saul  said  (in 
substance) :  I  have  called  thee  up  in  this  way  because 
I  could  get  no  answer  from  God.  I  was  in  an  agony  of 
fear  before  the  Philistines,  and  I  felt  that  I  must  see 

thee. Samuel  replied :    Why  call  me  up  from  the 

state  of  the  dead,  seeing  the  Lord  has  departed  from 
thee  and  become  thine  enemy?  What  have  I  ever 
done  for  thee — what  can  I  ever  do  for  thee,  save  to 
bring  to  thee  the  words  of  God  ?  But  now  God  has  no 
more  words  for  thee  except  these  dreadful  words  of 
doom — that  to-morrow  thou  and  thy  sons  must  go  into 
the  world  of  the  dead ;  thy  army  be  cut  to  pieces  ;  thy 
camp  seized  and  plundered,  and  thy  kingdom  subdued 
before  the  Philistine  army.  The  Lord  has  taken  the 
kingdom  utterly  from  thee  and  from  thy  house,  and 

given  it  to  thy  neighbor,  even  to  David. So  much 

seems  to  be  clearly  affirmed,  in  words  that  will  bear 
no  other  significance. 

The  more  vital  question  yet  remains.  W^as  this  suc- 
cess in  evoking  the  dead  from  the  under  world  ordinary 
or  extraordinary?  Was  it  an  average  illustration  of 
the  powers  of  sorcery  as  practiced  in  those  ages,  or  was 
it  an  entirely  exceptional  case,  permitted  by  God's 
special  providence  for  rebuke  and  awful  warning  to 
Saul — rebuke  for  the  sin  of  forsaking  God  and  then 
seeking  help  in  his  distress  otherwise  than  b}"  repent- 
ance and  by  returning  legitimately  to  the  Lord ;  ^'  and 

*In  this  connection  let  note  be  taken  of  the    comments  on    this 
transaction  which  appears  in  1  Chron.  10:  13,  14:  "So  Saul  died  for 
8 


162  SAUL  AND  THE  WITCH  AT  EXDOR. 

warning  that  should  ring  the  death-knell  of  his  doom 
before  the  final  blow  should  fall  ?  I  answer  most  decid- 
edly, the  latter.  Nothing  can  be  inferred  from  this 
narrative  in  regard  to  the  real  powers  of  the  sorceress 
of  Endor.  Her  astonishment  when  she  saw  Samuel 
proves  that  this  was  entirely  a  new  experience  to  her, 
all  unknown  before.  She  shrieked  with  amazement 
and  fear.  She  said :  "  I  saw  God  (elohim)  ascending 
out  of  the  earth."  Her  choice  of  the  word  ^^ elohim^'  in- 
dicates mingled  astonishment,  surprise,  and  fear.  She 
could  think  at  the  moment  of  notiiing  less  than  God — 
the  awful  God !  Saul  inquired — What  is  his  form,  his 
appearance,  understanding  her  to  speak  not  of  many 
gods  but  of  one ;  and  she  in  reply  gave  an  answer  by 
which  Saul  recognized  the  person  of  Samuel. 

As  to  the  magic  arts  of  this  sorceress  the  original  words 
used  and  the  facts  of  the  narrative  prove  only  this : 
not  that  she  ever  on  any  other  occasion  called  up  the 
dead;  not  that  she  obtained  audible  reponses  from  the 
spirits  of  the  dead,  or  knowledge  in  any  way  from  such 
spirits  ;  but  only  that  she  pretended  to  do  these  things, 
and  made  use  of  ventriloquism  and  perhai:)S  other  kin- 
dred arts  to  make  people  believe  that  she  possessed  and 
used  these  powers.* 

One  other  question  may  perha])s  arise,  viz.,  In  what 
sense  could  Samuel  say  to  Saul — "  To-morrow  shalt  thou 

and   thy   sons   be  with  me?"  (v.   19.) 1   can   only 

answer:  The  case  does  not  require  us  to  press  the  words 
])e3'ond  the  sense  of  being  in  the  state  of  the  dead.  There 
was  no  occasion  then  and  there  to  indicate  whether  his 
condition  in  that  state  would  be  happy  or  miserable. 
Nor  can  we  infer  from  this  passage  either  that  the 
Hebrews  of  that  age  did,  or  that  they  did  not,  know 
and  believe  in  one  place  and  state  of  existence  for  the 
righteous  and  another  for  the  wicked.  For  aught  that 
appears  here  they  may  or  they  ma.y  not  have  thought 

liis  transgression  wliich  he  committed  against  the  Lord,  even  against 
tlie  word  of  the  Lord,  whicii  he  kept  not,  and  also  for  asking  counsel 
of  one  that  had  a  familiar  spirit,  to  inquire  of  it;  and  inquired  not 
of  the  Lord  :  therefore  he  slew  him,  and  turned  the  kingdom  unto 

David  the  son  of  Jesse." This  shows  that  one  of  the  fatal  sins  of 

Saul  was  this  resort  to  familiar  spirits,  instead  of  humbling  himself 
before  the  Lord  and  seeking  help  from  him  only. 

*  See  more  on  this  subject  of  magic  arts  in  my  rentatucch,  pp.  270- 
279,  and  in  my  "Isaiah"  pp.  GG-G'J. 


DAVID   AND   ZIKLAG.  1G3 

of  one  place  and  state  exclusively  for  the  righteous  and 
another  for  the  wicked  dead.  Samuel  stopped  short  of 
any  teaching  on  this  subject.  It  was  enough  for  his 
purpose  then  to  apprise  Saul  that  he  and  his  sons 
must  die  on  the  morrow  and  pass  into  the  state  of  the 

dead. Samuel,  however,  did  say  enough  to  show  that 

in  his  belief  and  certain  knowledge,  there  could  be 
neither  fellowship  nor  sympathy  in  either  this  or  any 
other  world  between  such  a  spirit  as  that  of  Saul  and 
his  own. 

Resuming  the  thread  of  the  history,  as  in  1  Sam.  30, 
■\ve  note  that  the  absence  of  David  and  his  warriors 
from  Ziklag  for  three  days,  accompanying  the  Philis- 
tines so  long  in  their  preparation  and  in  the  outset  of 
their  march  upon  Northern  Palestine,  exposed  their 
wives,  children,  and  cattle  to  capture  by  a  band  of 
Amalekites.  Noticeably  they  sought  spoil,  not  blood; 
and  while  they  took  away  every  living  thing  and  burnt 

the   city,   "  they  slew  none  great  or  small."  * The 

return  of  David  and  his  party  to  this  scene  of  smoking 
ruins  and  utter  desolation — wives,  children,  cattle,  no 
longer  there — was  a  moment  of  overwhelming  trial. 
David's  men  seemed  half  maddened  with  grief.  Surely, 
thought  the}^,  somebody  must  be  to  blame  for  this;  it 
must  be  David.  So  "the  people  spake  of  stoning  him, 
because  the  soul  of  all  the  people  was  grieved,  every 
man  for  his  sons  and  for  his  daughters  "  (v.  6). 

How  sublimely  David  rose  above  the  depression,  the 
distractions,  the  sadness  of  these  surroundings  is  finely 
put  in  these  words :  "  But  David  encouraged  himself  in  the 
Lord  his  God^  Ah,  he  had  no  other  friend  who  stood 
by  him  in  this  emergency;  and  fortunately  he  could 
endure  wdthout  any  other.  It  sufficed  him  that  the 
infinite  God  stood  by  him,  never  more  near  and  true ; 
his  manifested  love  never  more  consoling;  his  strong 
arm  never  more  sustaining !  Very  rarely  docs  David's 
historian  turn  from  his  narration  of  David's  outer  life 
to  speak  of  his  inner  life — the  sources  of  his  hope,  and 
courage,  and  strength ;  but  this  case  is  an  exception. 
We  are  thankful  for  it.  We  are  glad  to  know  that  in 
this  hour  of  sorest  earthly  trial  David  looked  upward ; 

^  The  sparing  of  all  human  life  suggests  that  like  (he  Ishmaelites 
and  Midianites  of  old  (Gen.  37:  27,  28),  they  were  slave-traders  and 
thought  of  marketing  their  slaves  in  Egypt. 


1G4  DAVID   AND   ZIKLAG. 

and  lo,  God  was  near.  He,  too,  had  wives  and  perhaps 
little  ones,  and  knew  as  little  of  their  fortunes  as  his 
soldiers  knew  of  the  case  of  their  wives  and  children. 
In  his  personal  trials  he  might  as  reasonably  look  for 
their  sympathy  as  they  for  his,  and  might  as  reasonably 
blame  them  as  they  him  ;  but  in  the  strength  of  his 
faith  and  piety,  he  rose  above  all  these  manifold,  dis- 
tracting trials  and  ^^  encouraged  himself  in  the  Lord  his 
Gody  Let  us  be  thankful  for  one  such  example  of  en- 
durance and  of  victory  through  the  strength  of  the 
Mighty  One  of  Jacob. 

David  calls  for  Abiathar  and  the  ephod,  and  through 
it  inquires — "Shall  I  pursue  after  this  troop?  Shall  I 
overtake  them  ?  "  The  answer  brought  the  first  exter- 
nal ray  of  light  and  hope  : — "  Yes,  j^ursue ;  "  "  thou  shalt 
surely  overtake,"  and,  better  yet,  "shalt  without  fail, 

recover  all." Did  not  they  give  chase  with  warm 

heart,  and  make  good  time  ? 

The  pillaging  Amalekites  seem  to  have  had  most  of 
thre5  days  the  start,  but  moved  off  slowly,  incumbered 
with  booty  and  slow  traveling  captives.  When  far 
enough  away  to  feel  safe,  they  gave  themselves  up 
to  eating,  drinking,  dancing,  and  wild  exultations 
over  their  spoil.  While  thus  occupied  David  and 
the  four  hundred  whose  strength  held  out  through 
this  hot  and  long  pursuit,  fell  furiously  upon  them 
and  made  one  long  day  of  terrible  slaughter,  recover- 
ing meantime  all  their  stolen  wives,  children,  and 
cattle,  and  in  addition  taking  the  other  spoil  which 
tlie  marauding  party  had  stolen  and  their  own  ani- 
mals— an   immense   booty. It  was   at   once   a   case 

of  David's  forethoughtfulness  and  of  God's  nicely  ad- 
justing providence,  that  David,  precisely  at  this 
juncture,  having  come  into  possession  of  such  an 
amount  of  spoil,  distributed  it  so  liberally  among  the 
cities  of  Judah.  It  was  the  very  time  of  all  times 
to  call  their  attention  to  him  as  the  great  warrior  of 
the  age;  as  their  own  tribal  chieftain,  and  their 
devoted  friend.  Whether  at  the  moment  of  this 
decision  to  dispose  of  his  spoil  in  this  way  he  had 
already  heard  of  Saul's  death,  does  not  appear;  but 
the  Lord  knew  it,  and  his  providences  were  competent 
to  "  time  things,"  so  that  the  presents  were  in  season 
to  pave  the  way  for  David  to  become  king  of  Judah. 


DEATH   OF    SAQL.  165 

One   other   circumstance    occurring:    in   this   scene 


throws  light  on  David's  character.  Two  hundred  of 
his  six  hundred  warriors  became  too  faint  and  weary 
to  go  further  than  the  brook  Besor  (vs.  9,  10),  and 
were  left  there  in  charge  of  their  baggage.  When 
the  four  hundred  returned  victorious  to  this  company, 
David  came  near  and  saluted  them,  inquiring  kindly 
for  their  welfare.  The  men  of  Belial  who  had,  as 
they  thought,  done  the  severest  marching  and  all  the 
fighting,  said — Give  none  of  the  spoil  to  those  two 
hundred  men;  only  restore  to  them  their  own  wives 
and  children.  Not  so,  said  David ;  they  must  share 
equally  with  the  rest.  The  Lord  has  given  us  the 
victory  and  all  this  spoil ;  in  gratitude  to  him  let  us 
not  deal  severely  but  generously  with  our  brethren. 
So  this  became  a  statute  and  ordinance  for  Israel; 
those  who  guard  the  stuff  share  equally  with  those 
"who  go  into  the  battle. 


Death  of  Saul. 

With  chap.  31,  we  close  the  first  book  of  Samuel  and 
the  record  of  Saul's  life.  In  this  great  battle,  Israel 
fled  before  the  Philistines,  and  many  fell  slain  on  Ml. 
Gilboa.  Saul  and  his  sons  and  his  armor-bearer  were 
among  the  slain.  In  1  Sam.  31 :  5  it  is  said  that  Saul, 
having  been  severely  W'Ounded,  put  an  end  to  his  own 
life  by  falling  upon  his  own  sword.     The  account  in 

1  Chron.   10:  3-6  re-indorses  this  statement.     But  in 

2  Sam.  1  :  6-10  a  certain  Amalekite  appears  coming 
to  David  and  saying,  perhaps  truly,  yet  it  may  have  been 
falsely — "At  Saul's  request  I  slew  him,  and  then  took 
his  crowai  and  bracelets,  and  have  brought  them  to 
David  my  lord." — This  man  of  Amalek  no  doubt 
expected  from  David  a  liberal  reward,  but  met,  in- 
stead, his  own  death.  The  circumstance  served  to 
show  that  David  was  a  sincere  mourner  over  the 
death  of  Saul.  The  inhabitants  of  Jabesh-Gilead, 
remembering  Saul's  early  kindness,  sent  their  valiant 
men  to  recover  his  body  and  the  bodies  of  his  fallen 
sons  and  give  them  an  honorable  burial.  They  well 
deserved  this  honorable  mention  of  their  gratitude 
and  valor. 


IGG  David's  elegy  upon  the  slain. 

David's  Elegy  upon  the  Slain. 

The  song  of  lamentation  or  elegy,  composed  by  David 
upon  occasion  of  the  death  of  Saul  and  Jonathan  (2 
Sam.  1 :  17-27)  has  been  admired  in  all  a<res  for 
its  touching  pathos  and  exquisite  beauty.  We  can 
not  afford  to  pass  it  without  the  respectful  attention 
ever  due  to  tender  grief  and  sympathetic  sorrow  over 
the  fiiUen  dead. 

"  David  lamented  with  this  lamentation."  He  not 
only  composed  this  elegy,  but  sung  it;  not  only  sung 
it  himself,  but  gave  command  that  it  be  taught  to  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  "  Judah  " — of  Judah  specially 
because  they  were  of  his  own  tribe ;  because  then  and 
for  the  ensuing  seven  years  he  was  king  of  Judah 
only;  and  because  his  magnanimous  soul  discarded 
all  tribal  jealousies,  and  would  have  the  men  of  Judah 

mourn  for  Saul  no  less  than  the  men  of  Benjamin. 

"  He  bade  them  teach  Judah  " — not  "  the  use  of  the 
bow,"  which  would  be  utterly  foreign  from  the  sense ; 
but  "the  6ou',"  ^.  e.,  the  boiv-song — this  very  song  in 
which  "the  bow  of  Jonathan"  (v.  22)  holds  a  suffi- 
ciently prominent  position  to  supply  a  distinctive 
name  for  this  song.  The  Hebrews  were  accustomed 
to  designate  their  songs  by  some  such  catch-words,  of 
which  we  have   instances  apparently  in  the   Psalms. 

As  we  might  expect,  this  beautiful  poetic  elegy 

found  its  congenial  place  in  the  "Book  of  Jasher" — a 
rejiository,  as  we  have  seen,  of  fugitive  poems  pro- 
duced from  time  to  time  among  the  Hebrew  people. 
See  Josh.  10:  13. 

Num.  21 :  14-18  seems  to  indicate  the  same  or  a  simi- 
lar collection  under  the  title — "  The  book  of  the  wars 
of  the  Lord." 

The  poem  opens  with  v.  19.  "  The  beauty  of  Israel  " 
— her  warrior  king  and  his  noble  sons — "are  slain  upon 
the  high  phaces  of  Israel"  [Mount  Gilboa].  The  key- 
note of  the  song  is  in  the  refrain — "  How  are  the  mighty 
fallen!"  repeated  in  vs.  25,  27.  Such  is  our  sense  of 
death  when  brave  and  mighty  men  sink  in  one  brief 

moment  beneath  his  power. "  Tell  it  not  in  Gath" — 

for  David  had  spent  years  in  Gath,  and  knew  but  too 
well  how  its  sons  and  daughters  would  catch  up  these 
tidings,  and  hasten  to  their  idol  temples  with  jubilant 


167 

songs  of  triumph.  He  knew  how  the  streets  of  Askelon 
would  re-echo  with  rejoicings;  and  this  thought  was 

bitter  to  his  soul. "Ye  mountains  of  Gilboa,  let  no 

dew  or  rain  fall  on  you,"  henceforth  forever!  Let 
there  be  no  fields,  rich  with  products  for  sacrificial 
offerings.  Let  everlasting  blight  mar  your  former 
glory !  It  would  be  painfully  incongruous  to  see  those 
hill-tops  smiling  again  in  verdure  and  beauty  after 
having  been  the  theater  of  scenes  so  mournful.  To  the 
sad  heart  of  mourners  it  seems  some  relief  to  imprecate 
desolation  on  the  localities  which  have  become  asso- 
ciated with  the  death  of  the  loved  and  the  brave.  All 
this  is  touchingly  true  to  nature.  These  imprecations 
were  felt  to  be  the  more  appropriate,  because  on  those 
heights  the  shield  of  the  mighty  was  vilely  cast  away 
as  if  of  one  who  had  never  been  anointed  king  of  Israel. 
Yet  let  it  not  be  hastily  assumed  that  Saul  and  Jona- 
than were  not  brave  and  successful  warriors.  The  bow 
of  Jonathan  never  turned  back  from  before  the  mighty ; 
the  sword  of  Saul  never  returned  from  battle  without 
being  laden  with  trophies  of  the  slain.  Moreover,  Saul 
and  Jonathan  were  not  only  valiant  in  war;  "they 
were  lovely  and  pleasant  in  their  lives."  Of  Jona- 
than's amiable  and  noble  spirit,  David  never  could  say 
too  much.  He  had  profound  reason  to  appreciate  him, 
and  he  was  of  a  nature  too  appreciative,  too  noble  and 
magnanimous,  not  to  reciprocate  such  love.  As  to 
Saul,  David  cherished  a  profound  regard  for  him  as 
his  anointed  sovereign,  and,  no  doubt,  saw  much  (in 
some  aspects  of  his  character)  that  he  could  both  esteem 
and  love;  but  Saul's  manifestations  were  strangely 
mixed;  and  David  leaves  us  a  little  in  doubt  how 
much  of  this  touching  elegy  of  Saul  and  Jonathan 
was  indebted  to  Jonathan  rather  than  to  Saul  for  its 
tenderness  and  pathos,  and  its  unsurpassed  appreciation 
of  amiable  qualities.  What  this  elegy  would  have 
been  if  Saul  only  had  been  its  subject,  we  are  not  in  a 
condition  to  judge. 

In  V.  24,  Saul  stands  out  in  his  distinctive  personality 
as  king  of  Israel.  The  daughters  of  the  land  might 
fitly  bewail  the  death  of  their  king,  remembering  how 
he  had  ministered  to  their  adornment — the  ruling  pas- 
sion in  the  oriental  woman's  heart  being  recognized 
here  as  in  the  song  of  Deborah  (Judge  5 :  30).    But 


168  SAUI.'S    CHARACTER. 

when  the  poet's  thought  turns  to  Jonathan  (vs.  25,  26), 
his  tones  tremble  with  most  touching  pathos: — "I  am 
distressed  for  thee,  my  brotlier  Jonathan;  very  pleasant 
hast  thou  been  to  me ;  thy  love  to  me  was  wonderful, 
passing  the  love  of  women."  Thus  the  loving  heart  of 
David  bewails  what  seemed  to  him  the  untimely  death 
of  his  dearest  friend.  All  his  fond  hopes  that  Jonathan 
miglit  survive  his  father,  and  stand  beside  himself  in 
the  honors  or  the  cares  of  Israel's  throne,  are  dashed 
suddenly  and  forever.  The  joys  of  a  friendship  so  deeji, 
so  self-sacrificing,  so  noble,  and  so  pure — ah,  how  have 
they  passed  away,  to  return  no  more  ! 

SauVs  Character. 

The  whole  of  Saul's  recorded  life  having  now  passed 
before  us,  it  is  pertinent  at  this  point  to  review  his 
character. 

Physically,  of  commanding  dignified  person,  he  no 
doubt  seemed  to  the  people  of  Israel  demanding  a  king, 
to  fill  their  ideal  admirably.  Men  who  looked  on  the 
outward  appearance,  not  on  the  heart,  would  reason- 
ably ask  nothing  more.  He  reigned  long  enough 
to  show  that  qualities  lying  deeper  than  the  out- 
ward appearance  were  requisite  for  a  wise  and  pros- 
perous king  on  the  throne  of  Israel.  Unfortunately 
these  physical  qualities  drew  to  him  more  or  less 
homage  and  flattery,  and  so  ministered  to  his  pride  and 
to  his  great  fall. 

Psychologically,  Saul  was  dangerously  impulsive  in 
spirit,  of  strong  emotions  and  terribly  excitable  temper. 
It  was  due  to  these  qualities  that  he  so  readily  felt  the 
sympathetic  influence  of  the  music  and  the  songs  of 
those  prophet-bands  at  Gibeah  (1  Sam.  10 ;  10),  and 
again  at  Ramah  (1  Sam.  19:  22-26).  But  especially 
must  we  attribute  to  these  qualities  of  his  mind  (in 
part  at  least)  those  fearful  outbursts  of  jealousy  and 
passion  under  which  once  and  again  he  hurled  his  jav- 
elin at  David,  and  also  at  his  own  noble  son  Jonathan. 
The  narrative  would  justify  us  in  ascribing  these 
ebullitions  of  mad  passion  in  part  to  an  "evil  spirit" 
that  came  upon  him  ;  yet  not  in  any  such  sense  as 
would  rule  out  the  normal  working  of  his  own  impulses, 
and  the  natural  development  of  his  own  mental  qualities. 


169 

Saul's  insanity  was  not  of  a  sort  which  vacated  his  own 
moral  responsibility.  His  real  character  shines  out  in 
all  those  words  and  deeds  of  violent  passion.  We  must 
not  attribute  them  to  any  foreign  spirit  in  any  such  sense 
or  degree  as  would  remove  them  from  the  control  of  his 
own  will  or  from  the  realm  of  his  responsible  activities. 
The  fatal  defect  in  Saul  was  the  want  of  true  piety. 
Morally,  his  character  lacked  bottom.  His  will  was 
not  jaelded  implicitly  and  absolutely  to  the  will  of  God. 
It  was  never  the  first  law  of  his  soul  to  obey  God  in 
every  thing  with  no  possible  exception.  In  this  point 
he  was  in  utter  contrast  with  David,  whose  whole  soul 
went  forth  in  the  words :  *'  0  God,  my  heart  is  fixed.'^ 
"I  delight  to  do  thy  will,  0  God."  If  Saul  had  been 
true  to  God  he  would  have  obeyed  the  great  test-com- 
mand to  exterminate  Amalek,  and  never  could  have 
suffered  himself  to  modify  the  divine  directions.  If  his 
heart  had  been  wholly  right  with  God,  he  never  would 
have  apostatized  and  thus  have  made  it  a  moral  neces- 
sity for  God  to  forsake  him.  The  great  moral  lesson 
which  Saul's  history  leaves  for  the  instruction  of  man- 
kind is,  therefore,  precisely  this:  That  without  true 
piety,  the  finest  qualities  of  character  and  the  highest 
position  in  society  will  fail  utterly  to  make  a  true  and 
noble  man.  If  Saul's  heart  had  been  true  to  God  he 
would  have  been  one  of  the  grandest  specimens  of  hu- 
manity. But,  lacking  this  true  obedience  to  God,  ho 
made  his  life  an  utter  failure,  and  his  character  a 
moral  wreck.  In  his  case  the  noblest  physical  and 
mental  qualities  are  proved  to  be  utterly  weak  to  resist 
the  temptations  to  pride,  jealousy,  passion,  and  mad- 
ness, unless  they  are  put  under  the  keeping  of  grace 
divine  and  the  soul  be  brought  into  harmony  with  the 

will  of  God. Such  help  from  God  toward  self-control 

and  toward  the  formation  of  a  noble  character,  Saul 
never  sought.  He  was  never  a  man  of  prayer.  David 
was.  In  this  one  vital  and  fundamental  respect  they 
stand  before  us  in  total  contrast  with  each  other.  True, 
Saul  sought  after  the  Lord  in  his  great  distress  when 
overwhelmed  with  fear ;  but  never  in  other  circumstances. 
Consequently,  it  was  all  strange  business  to  him.  He 
had  not  made  himself  familiar  with  the  way  to  the 
mercy-seat.  His  soul  could  not  turn  naturally  to  his 
God  as  to  a  well  known  and  long  tried  friend.    Oh,  how 


170  BRIEF   REVIEW  OF  DAVID. 

did  he  feel  the  need  of  such  a  friend  in  that  dreadful 
night  when  he  threaded  his  desoLate  and  perilous  way, 
past  the  pickets  of  the  Philistine  host,  to  find  the  witch 
of  Endor— only  to  learn  there  the  more  surely  that  God 
had  utterly  forsaken  him  ;  that  terrible  defeat,  slaughter, 
and  death  lay  but  a  few  hours  before ! 

Brief  Review  of  David. 

The  first  well-defined  stage  of  David's  public  life 
closes  with  the  death  of  Saul.  Before  we  leave  it  to 
pass  on,  let  us  note  his  own  review  of  it  as  it  appears 
in  his  Ps.  18,  and,  with  only  slight  variations,  in  2  Sam. 
22.  This  Psalm  was  written  at  a  later  period  and  con- 
templates his  deliverance  from  other  enemies  as  well 
as  from  Saul ;  but  as  is  plainly  indicated  in  the  head- 
ing of  Ps.  18,  it  looked  toward  Saul  pre-eminently. 

This  Psalm  is  sublimely  full  of  God.  "  I  will  love  thee, 
O  Lord,  my  strength.  The  Lord  is  my  rock  and  my 
fortress ;  my  God  in  whom  I  will  trust ;  "--such  is  its 
lofty  strain.  His  salvation  from  all  his  enemies  is 
from  God  alone.  How  grandly  he  accumulates  epithets 
and  symbols  to  set  forth  the  interposing  power  of  his 
Great  Deliverer !  How  sublimely  did  his  God  appear 
for  his  help  in  every  hour  of  his  need!  Conscious  of 
personal  innocence  and  integrity  as  to  the  great  issue 
between  himself  and  Saul,  he  had  but  to  trust  in  the 
Holy  One  of  Israel,  and  deliverance  came  at  length! 


INTRODUCTION  TO  CHRONICLES.  171 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

About  to  enter  upon  a  new  chapter  of  David's  history 
— David  as  king — it  is  in  place  to  refer  to  our  sources  of 
historical  information,  viz.,  2  Sam.  2-24  to  1  Kings 
2:  11;  and  co-ordinately  with  this,  1  Chron.  11-29 
chapters — the  former  (2  Sam.  and  Kings)  more  full  in 
matters  pertaining  to  his  political  and  military  life ;  to 
his  great  sins  and  to  his  domestic  trials;  the  latter  (1 
Chron.  11-29)  more  full  on  the  points  of  his  religious 
activities;  his  re-organization  of  the  tabernacle  worship, 
and  his  immense  preparations  for  the  temple.  The 
course  of  David's  history  must  be  suspended  here  for  a 
moment  to  introduce  the  reader  to  these  very  valuable 
books— viz.,  of  Chronicles. 

Author  and  Date  of  the  Books  of  Chronicles. 

Compared  with  Samuel  and  Kings,  the  Chronicles  are 
a  collateral  history,  going  over  to  some  extent  the  same 
ground.  It  is  quite  obvious  that  they  were  compiled 
from  the  same  original  sources,  viz.,  the  annals  of  the 
Hebrew  people,  written  at  or  near  the  time  of  the 
events,  and  by  a  succession  of  prophets  of  whom  some  at 
least  were  Levites.  From  Moses  onward,  provision  was 
made  for  a  permanent  record  of  all  important  events,  to 
be  kept  in  the  national  archives  of  the  Hebrew  people. 
To  these  original  documents  we  find  the  compilers  of 
these  historical  books  continually  refer  for  more  full 
particulars. 

The  important  questions  as  to  these  historical  books 

are — When  were  they  compiled,  and  by  ivhonif Neither 

date  nor  author  are  given  in  the  books  themselves,  nor 
indeed  in  any  records  that  have  come  down  to  us.  We 
are  left,  therefore,  to  approximate  the  true  answer  to 
these  questions  as  best  we  may  by  the  study  of  the 
books  themselves,  comparing  the  adaptation  of  the 
points  they  make  to  the  known  case  of  the  people  in 
their  subsequent  history.  For  it  is  safe  to  assume  that 
the  books  were  compiled  to  answer  a  purpose.  It  can 
not  be  doubted  that  the  books  of  Samuel  and  of  Kings 
were  compiled  at  an  earlier  date,  and  were,  therefore,  in 


172  INTRODUCTION  TO  CHRONICLES. 

the  hands  of  him  who  compiled  the  Chronicles  and  of 
his  contemplated  first  readers  for  whose  use  he  made 
this  compilation.  He  made  up  these  books  because  in 
his  view  something  of  this  sort  was  specially  needed  in 

his  day. We  may  therefore  inquire : — Is  any  period 

of  Hebrew  history  known  to  us  in  which  the  specialties 
of  these  books  of  Chronicles — the  points  in  which  they 
differ  from  the  books  of  Samuel  and  of  Kings — would  be 
particularly  pertinent  and  applicable?  If  so,  then, 
with  high  probability,  that  was  the  period  when  these 
books  were  compiled. 

In  my  view  the  times  of  the  restoration — the  age  of 
Ezra  and  of  Nehemiah — were  such  a  period.  If  we  study 
that  age  carefully  as  we  have  it  in  the  historic  books  of 
those  men,  and  then  look  thoroughly  through  the  books 
of  Chronicles,  we  shall  be  struck  with  the  admirable 
adaptation  of  these  books  to  those  times.  The  points 
of  history  selected  and  the  points  omitted  will  combine 
to  show  a  remarkable  adjustment  to  the  moral  wants 

and  demands  of  the  restored  people. Thus  in  the 

times  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  there  was  very  great 
moral  power  in  the  Hehreio  genealogies.  Perhaps  it  was 
never  before  or  since  greater  than  then.  It  was  vital  to 
revive  and  to  endear  the  memory  of  the  fathers  and 
patriarchs  of  the  chosen  people.  The  returned  exiles 
had  need  of  heroic  endurance,  to  which  nothing  could 
minister  more  directly  than  a  sense  of  their  nationality 
■ — the  power  of  the  great  names  and  noble  spirit  of  the 
founders  of  Israel.  It  was,  moreover,  of  some  import- 
ance to  weed  out  the  adventurers — the  men  of  mixed 

or  unknown  parentage. Thus  we  see  that  both  Ezra 

(chap.  2)  and  Nehemiah  (chap.  7)  gave  special  atten- 
tion to  enrolhnent,  pedigree,  nationality.  Hence,  the 
adaptation  of  the  genealogical  cliaptcrs  i  Chron.  1-9. 

Next,  observe  that  Saul's  history  had  few  moral 
lessons  of  special  value  for  the  returned  exiles.  So  lie 
is  dismissed  with  one  short  chapter  (10)— that  of  his 

death. Of   David's  history,  all  those   portions  that 

precede  the  death  of  Saul  are  entirely  omitted.  His 
wars  are  touched  briefly,  those  against  Syria,  Zobah, 
Moab,  Ammon,  and  Edom  coming  under  notice  mainly 
to  account  for  the  immense  spoils  which  they  poured 
into  David's  hand  and  which  he  consecrated  to  the 
building  of  the  great   temple. Under  the  head  of 


INTRODUCTION  TO  CHRONICLES.  173 

matters  omitted,  nothing  is  more  striking  than  the 
omission  of  the  whole  history  of  the  ten  tribes  after  the 
revolt  under  Jeroboam,  except  so  far  as  they  come  into 
such  contact  with  Judah  as  compelled  some  allusion  to 
their  history.  This  omission  strikes  out  the  history  of 
Elijah  and  Elisha. 

In  the  line  of  matters  not  omitted  but  embraced,  we 
have  a  very  full  account  of  David's  religious  work  for 
the  nation — bringing  back  the  ark ;  re-organizing  the 
ritual  worship;  classifying  the  labors  of  priest  and 
Levite ;  organizing  the  new  department  of  sacred  song ; 
and  making  immense  preparations  for  building  the 
temple.  All  these  w^ere  points  of  most  vital  interest 
to  the  men  of  the  restoration.  Precisely  this  was  the 
sort  of  work  which  God  was  laying  to  their  hand. 
They  had  just  such  an  organization  to  effect ;  they  had 
the  great  temple  to  rebuild.  It  was  worth  the  whole 
labor  and  cost  of  writing  these  books  of  Chronicles,  to 
bring  down  and  utilize  the  example  and  the  labors  of 
David  and  his  associates. Further,  the  gifts  of  the  peo- 
ple toward  the  temple-building— so  spontaneous,  so  lib- 
eral, so  enthusiastic  (1  Chron.  28  and  29) — were  of  price- 
less moral  value  to  the  returned  exiles.  So  also  it  was  in 
place  to  tell  them  very  particularly  of  the  great  work 
of  Solomon  in  its  erection,  and  of  his  wonderful  con- 
secration of  the  finished  temple  by  prayer,  and  sacri- 
fice, and  song. 

In  selecting  points  of  Jewish  history,  from  the  revolt 
to  the  captivity,  the  compiler  dwelt  with  special  mi- 
nuteness on  the  great  religious  reformations  wrought  in 
the  reigns  of  Jehoshaphat,  Hezekiah,  and  Josiah.  The 
wicked  kings  are  passed  with  less  detail — yet  we  may 
be  thankful  that  having  presented  the  great  sins  of  Ma- 
nasseh,  he  gave  us  (as  the  book  of  Kings  does  not)  an 
account  of  his  confession  and  repentance.  Those  great 
reformations  were  full  of  instruction,  and  of  inspiring 

impulse  to  the  men  of  Ezra's  time. If  we  were  to 

examine  in  yet  more  detail  the  points  omitted  and 
not  omitted,  in  these  books,  compared  with  the  corre- 
sponding history  in  2  Samuel  and  Kings,  the  compari- 
son would  be  found  to  bear  in  the  same  direction, 
showing  yet  more  clearly  that  the  compiler  of  the 
Chronicles  aimed  to  adapt  his  work  to  such  a  people 
as  the  returned  exiles,  and  to  such  a  state  of  things  as 


174  INTRODUCTION   TO   CHRONICLES. 

then  existed.  There  can,  therefore,  be  no  reasonable 
doubt  that  the  books  were  compiled  then  and  for  an 
exigency  then  pending  and  pressing. 

Equally  clear  is  it  that  Ezra  was  the  man  to  do  this 
work,  or  at  least  to  see  that  it  was  done  and  to  supervise 
it.  He  was  "  a  ready  scribe  in  the  law  of  Moses  ;  "  he 
"had  prepared  his  heart  to  seek  the  law  of  the  Lord, 
and  to  do  it,  and  to  teach  in  Israel  statutes  and  judg- 
ments "  (Ezra  7 :  6-10).  His  soul  breathes  itself  forth  in 
Ps.  119  :  97 :  "  O  how  love  I  thy  law  ;  it  is  my  meditation 
all  the  day."  His  spirit,  therefore;  his  familiarity 
with  the  Hebrew  Scriptures;  his  prominence  as  the 
religious  instructor  of  the  returned  exiles,  and  his 
absorbing  interest  in  this  work,  all  conspire  to  desig- 
nate him  as  the  compiler  of  these  books. It  may  fitly 

be  added  that  Jewish  tradition  attributes  to  him  the 
great  work  of  revising  the  Hebrew  Scriptures  then 
extant — a  work  to  which  the  compilation  of  Chronicles 
bears  no  little  analogy. 

It  remains  to  refer  in  a  word  to  certain  points  of  in- 
ternal evidence  which  indicate  with  high  probability 
the  date  of  compilation  of  the  books  of  Chronicles; — 
viz.,  (a.)  Its  genealogical  records  seem  to  come  down 
to  the  captivity ;  e.  g.,  1  Chron.  5 :  22 :  "  They  dwelt  in 
their  stead  until  the  captivity ;  " — 1  Chron.  6 :  15  : 
"  Jehozadak  went  into  captivity  when  the  Lord  carried 
away  Judah  and  Jerusalem  by  the  hand  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar ; " — and  9 :  1 :  "So  all  Israel  were  reckoned  by 
genealogies.  Behold,  they  were  written  in  the  books  of 
Israel  and  Judah,  who  were  carried  away  to  Babjdon 

for  their  transgression." (b.)  Of  perhaps  j^et  more 

decisive  bearing  toward  the  same  conclusion  is  the  fact 
that  at  its  close — (viz.,  2  Chron.  36:  20-23)  the  history 
actually  shades  off  into  the  history  of  Ezra  itself,  giving 
us  (as  the  history  of  2  Kings  does  not)  the  duration  of 
the  exile — viz.,  "till  the  reign  of  the  kingdom  of 
Persia;"  i.  c,  until  Babylon  fell  into  their  hands,  and 
their  empire  was  located  centrally  in  Babylon  itself — 
closing  with  the  edict  of  Cyrus  for  the  restoration  of 
the  Jews — a  paragraph,  which,  as  it  ends  this  book  of 
Chronicles,  so  does  it  also  begin  the  book  of  Ezra — a 
method  of  connection  which  we  liave  already  noticed 
where  the  book  of  Judges  resumes  and  continues  the 
history  of  the  book  of  Joshua. 


DAVID   AS   KING.  175 

David  as  King. 

Since  the  hour  -when,  by  the  hand  of  the  prophet 
Samuel,  the  Lord  designated  David  as  prospective  king 
of  Israel,  and  poured  on  his  head  the  consecrating  oil  (1 
Sam.  16),  the  thread  of  the  historic  narrative  has  run 
along  the  line  of  his  life.  We  have  had  Saul  only 
because  of  his  relations  to  David.  Saul  being  now 
dead,  we  shall  see  David  in  new  relations. 

Comprehensively,  the  future  history  of  David  will 
embrace  these  leading  events. 

I.  The  steps  to  the  throne,  first  of  Judah ;  ultimately 
of  all  Israel. 

II.  Jerusalem  wrested  from  the  Jebusites;  built  up 
and  made  his  capital. 

III.  The  ark  located  at  Jerusalem ;  a  special  taber- 
nacle prepared  fur  it,  and  this  city  made  the  great  re- 
ligious center. 

IV.  The  tabernacle  worship  full}^  reorganized,  with 
the  important  accompaniment  of  sacred  song. 

V.  The  great  promise  made  to  David  that  his  pos- 
terity should  fill  the  throne  of  Israel  indefinitely,  in- 
cluding and  terminating  in  the  great  Messiah. 

VI.  David's  wars;  the  subjugation  of  the  Philistines, 
of  Zobah,  Syria,  Moab,  Amnion,  and  Edom. 

VII.  His  great  sins  in  the  matter  of  Bathsheba  and 
Uriah. 

VIII.  His  domestic  calamities  consequent  upon  these 
sins,  involving  the  history  of  Amnon  and  of  Absalom. 

IX.  His  sin  of  numbering  the  people — which  re- 
sulted in  fixing  the  site  of  the  temple. 

X.  David's  work  of  preparation  for  the  temple. 

XI.  Arrangements  for  the  succession ;  conspiracy 
of  Adonijah;  Solomon. 

XII.  David's  last  words  and  character. 
Following  the  order  of    topics  above   indicated,  we 

note, 

I.  The  steps  to  the  throne,  first  of  Judah;  idtimately  of 
all  Israel.  Tidings  of  Saul's  death  reached  David  at 
Ziklag  where  he  lay  with  his  trusty  six  hundred. 
This  death  put  a  new  face  upon  his  circumstances  ; 
opened  to  hina  new  possibilities;  and  naturally  raised 
in  his  mind  the  inquiry — What  is  to  be  done  next? 
Shall  he  make  any  movement  looking  toward  his  elc- 


176 

vation  to  the  throne  ?  Judah  was  his  own  tribe ;  his 
few  adherents  were  chiefly  of  that  tribe  :  his  sympa- 
thies hiy  there  and  his  hopes  also ;  therefore,  true 
to  the  impulses  of  his  religious  character  and  life, 
he  brings  before  the  Lord  this  first  great  question — 
Shall  I  go  up  to  any  of  the  cities  of  Judah?  The 
Lord  answered,  Go :  and  to  his  next  question — To 
which  ?  The  Lord  replied,  To  Hebron.  This  city 
had  been  conquered  by  Caleb  and  made  his  inheritance 
(Josh.  14  :  12-15) ;  was  centrally  located  for  the  tribe 
of  Judah ;  was  a  strong  city  and  in  friendly  relations 
to  David ;  was  hallowed,  moreover,  with  interesting 
associations  as  the  burial-place  of  Abraham  and  Sarah 
(Gen.  25:  9,  10,  and  23:  19,  20);  and  if  Caleb's  posterity 
inherited  the  spirit  of  their  father  it  must  have  had 
in  it  some  excellent  material.  It  was  twenty  miles 
south  of  Jerusalem.  Thither  the  men  of  Judah  came 
and  there  they  anointed  David  to  be  their  king. 

David  would  naturally  expect  efforts  to  secure  the 
succession  to  the  line  of  Saul;  and  hence  saw  the 
wisdom  of  carefully  conciliating  the  good-will  of  the 
nation  by  manifestations  of  sympathy  and  kindness 
toward  Saul's  family  and  friends.  Out  of  his  wisdom, 
therefore,  and  probably  out  of  his  heart  as  well,  he 
sent  messengers  to  express  his  sympathy  and  good- 
will to  the  men  of  Jabesh-Gilead  for  the  honor  they 
paid  to  the  remains  of  their  king.^  For  similar  reasons 
at  a  later  period  he  rewarded  the  assassins  of  Ishbo- 
sheth,  Saul's  son  and  successor,  by  ordering  their  im- 
mediate execution  (2  Sam.  4 :  12). 

Abner,  Saul's  captain-general,  had  placed  Ishbosheth 
on  the  throne  made  vacant  by  Saul's  death.  First,  he 
took  him  across  the  Jordan  to  Mahanaim  and  put  him 
over  all  Gilead;  f  subsequently  (perhaps  in  the  order 
narrated  in  2  Sam.  2 :  9),  "  over  Asher,  Jezreel,  Ephraim, 

Benjamin,  and  all  Israel." The  historian  narrates  (2 

Sam.  2 :  12-32)  the  scenes  of  a  battle  fought,  at  Gibeon, 
between  Joab,  commanding  David's  men,  and  Abner,  at 

*  The  Hebrew  word  (2  Sam.  2  :  6)  signifies,  not  "requite,"  but  (o 
manifest  kindness  and  sympathy. 

t  The  reasons  for  selecting  Gilead  and  the  trans-Jordanic  tribes  as 
the  starting  point  may  probably  be  found  in  the  special  sympathy 
felt  for  Saul  in  Jabesh-Gilead  and  in  the  reasons  for  it  as  suggested 
above  in  remarks  on  1  Sam.  11  and  31. 


DAVID  S   STEPS   TO  THE   THRONE.  177 

the  head  of  the  warriors  of  Ishbosheth — the  salient 
points  of  which  were  first,  a  bloody  conflict  between 
twelve  chosen  warriors  from  each  armj^,  in  which  every 
man  seems  to  have  fallen;  and  next  a  general  fight  in 
which  Asahel,  brother  of  Joab  and  Abishai  was  slain  by 
Abner,*  the  battle  ultimately  closing  with  the  fitting 
appeal  of  Abner  to  Joab — "  Shall  the  sword  devour  for- 
ever? Knowest  thou  not  that  it  will  be  bitterness  in 
the  latter  end?  How  long  shall  it  be  ere  thou  bid  the 
people  return  from  following  their  brethren?"  Thus 
better  counsels  prevailed;  the  mutual  slaughter  of 
brethren  ceased  —  the  counted  dead  numbering  of 
David's  men  twent}^,  but  of  Abner's  men  three  hundred 
and  sixty.  This  is  the  only  battle  on  record  between 
the  parties  contending  for  the  succession  to  the  throne 
of  Israel.  David  wisely  adopted  the  policy  of  concilia- 
tion and  "masterly  inactivity,"  waiting,  as  he  had 
trained  himself  to  wait  during  the  life  of  Saul,  for  the 
slow  movements  of  God's  providence  to  seat  him  in  his 

own  time  on  the  throne  over  the  whole  people. In 

the  sequel  of  this  struggle,  Ishbosheth  gave  offense  to 
his  captain,  Abner,  whereupon  the  latter,  in  retaliation 
or  from  better  motives  (2  Sam.  3 :  17,  18),  laid  his  plans 
to  bring  all  the  tribes  over  to  David.  Ere  they  were 
fully  carried  out  he  was  foully  assassinated  by  Joab  in 
revenge  for  the  death  of  his  brother  Asahel.  David 
promptly  did  his  utmost  to  protest  against  this  murder, 
to  avert  the  displeasure  of  the  people,  and  to  conciliate 
their  good-will. 

Chap.  4  records  the  assassination  of  Ishbosheth  by 
men  who  manifestly  thought  to  please  David,  but  who 
met  his  pronounced  displeasure  and  their  own  exem- 
plary death.  This  brought  matters  to  a  crisis.  The 
head  men  of  the  opposition  to  David  were  in  their 
graves;  his  prudence  had  won  the  good-will  of  the 
nation.  It  only  remained  to  convene  the  representa- 
tives of  all  the  tribes  and  place  him  triumphantly  on 
the  throne  of  Israel.  They  came  to  David  at  Hebron  ; 
"  there  David  made  a  league  with  them  before  the  Lord," 
analogous  to  the  written   charter  under  which  Saul 

*  The  Hebrew — "  smote  him  under  the  fifth  rib  "  means,  and  should 
be  read — in  the  abdomen — through  the  bowels.  The  same  emenda- 
tion of  our  English  version  is  called  for  in  2  Sam.  3 :  27,  and  4 :  6,  and 
20 :  10. 


178  JERUSALEM  MADE  HIS  CAPITAL. 

"took  the  kingdom"  (1  Sam.  10:  25),  and  "they 
anointed  David  king  over  Israel"  (2  Sam.  5:  30). 
David  was  thirty  years  old  when  made  king  over 
Judah ;  reigned  seven  and  a  half  years  over  that  tribe 
only,  and  tliirty  years  over  all  Israel. 

The  author  of  1  Chronicles  gives  in  chaps.  11  and  12 
a  very  particular  account  of  the  valiant  men  who  had 
previously  attached  themselves  to  David,  some  at  least 
of  whom  came  to  him  at  Ziklag  before  the  death  of 
Saul  (1  Chron.  12:  1);  men  who  had  wrought  signal 
exploits  of  heroism  and  power  and  were  thoroughly 
prepared  to  lead  the  armies  of  Israel.  This  passage 
records,  statistically,  the  large  accessions  to  David's  host 
that  came  in  from  the  several  tribes,  among  whom 
special  mention  is  made  of  the  Gadites  (1  Cliron.  12: 
8-18).  The  figures  in  several  cases  seem  very  large. 
The  small  number  relatively  from  Judah  is  surprising, 
not  to  say,  incredible ;— of  Judah,  only  6,800,  while  the 
very  small  tribe  of  Simeon  counts  up  7,100;  the  half 
tribe  of  Manasseh,  18,000;  Ephraim,  20,800;  Zebulon, 
50,000;  Dan,  a  tribe  signally  diminutive  and  almost 
unknown,  28,600;  but,  strangest  of  all,  from  the  two 
and  a  half  tribes  east  of  Jordan,  120,000.  The  numbers 
from  the  powerful  tribe  of  Judah  sink  into  insignifi- 
cance when  placed  by  the  side  of  other  and  much  less 
populous  tribes.  We  seem  compelled  to  suspend  judg- 
ment on  the  point  of  the  accuracy  of  these  numbers. 

II.  The  kingdom  being  secured  to  David,  his  first 
work  is  to  locate,  build,  and  fortify  his  capital.  For 
this  purpose  Jerusalem  is  wrested  from  the  Jebusites.  There 
were  good  reasons  for  the  choice  of  this  site.  Hebron, 
though  central  for  the  tribe  of  Judah,  was  very  remote 
from  the  center  of  Israel.  The  capital  of  the  nation 
should  be  further  north.  Jerusalem  fell  within  the 
original  limits  of  Benjamin,  so  that  the  choice  of  this 
location  might  conciliate  the  good-will  of  the  tribe 
which  had  furnished  Saul  for  the  first  king.  Moreover, 
the  beauty  of  its  site  and  its  great  natural  strength  (for 
war)  were  points  by  no  means  insignificant.  David's 
eye  was  quick  to  note  these  attractions.  Jerusalem 
must  become  his  great  city.-^^    Probably  some  at  least  of 

*  Its  site  is  thirty-two  miles  from  the  Mediterranean;  eighteen 
(Coleman  aays  twenty-four)  from  the  Jordan ;  twenty  miles  north 
of  Hebron ;  thirty-six  miles  south  from  Samaria. 


THE    ARK   LOCATED   IN   JERUSALEM.  179 

the  immense  hosts  (put  at  280,000  men)  who  gathered 
for  his  coronation  remained  to  assist  in  the  subjugation 

of  this  stronghoUI  of  the  Jebusites. The  references 

to  "  the  blind  and  the  Lame  "  (in  2  Sam.  5  :  6,  8)  are  not 
very  clear  in  our  accepted  version.  In  v.  6  we  may 
translate:  "The  Jebusites  spake  to  David,  saying: 
Thou  shalt  not  come  in  hither,  for  the  blind  and  the 
lame  shall  keep  thee  off  (^.  e.,  prevent  thy  coming  in). 
So  great  was  their  confidence  in  the  natural  strength 
of  their  citadel  that  they  believed  the  blind  and 
lame  of  their  number  were  adequate  for  its  defense. 
Subsequently  these  words  passed  into  a  proverb :  Be- 
cause of  the  blind  and  the  lame,  he  shall  not  enter  the 
house ;    or  as  given  by  Perowne  :    "  The  blind  and  the 

lame  are  there ;  let  him  enter  if  he  can." The  allu- 

Bion  to  the  blind  and  the  lame  as  "  the  hated  of  David's 
soul,"  indicates  how  deeply  this  taunt  had  stirred  his 

sensibilities. According  to  1  Chron.  11 :  6,  Joab  was 

the  first  to  master  the  ascent  and  thus  secure  the  honor 
of  being  David's  chief  captain.  Xlie  reference  to  "  the 
gutter"  (2  Sam.  5:  8)  suggests  that  the  ascent  was 
made   through  some  water-worn   passage,  which  very 

possibly  had  been  overlooked  by  the  Jebusites. The 

citadel  once  mastered,  David  proceeded  to  enlarge  the 
area  of  this  lofty  summit  and  to  strengthen  its  fortifica- 
tions.  Thus  Jerusalem  was  the  city  of  David,  born  to 

greatness  in  the  first  year  of  liis  reign  over  all  Israel. 
In  the  result  it  came  to  be  more  richly  embalmed  in 
sacred  song  and  hallowed  with  more  sweet  associations 
and  blessed  memories  than  any  other  city  brought  be-, 
fore  us  in  the  holy  Scriptures;  indeed,  we  might  say, 
above  any  other  city  known  to  history. 

III.  The  next  great  event  of  David's  reign  was  the 
location  of  the  ark  in  his  royal  city.  (See  2  Sam.  6,  and 
1  Chron.  13,  and  15,  and  16.)  The  narrative  is  most  full 
in  1  Chron.,  especially  as  to  the  provision  made  for 
sacred  song  on  this  memorable  occasion.  Indeed,  we 
find  here  the  very  song  of  praise  which  "David  de- 
livered into  the  hand  of  Asaph  and  his  brethren  on 
that  day" — a  song  which  re-appears  in  the  Psalter,  part 
of  it  (viz.,  1  Chron.  17:  8-22)  in  Ps.  105:  1-15,  and  vs. 
23-33  in  Ps.  96:  the  concluding  verses  in  Ps.  106:  1,  47, 
etc.  The  occasion  was  one  of  thrilling  interest  and 
lofty  enthusiasm,  David  being  manifestly  the  leading 


ISO  THE    ARK   LOCATED   IN   JERUSALEM. 

spirit.  His  heart  was  thoroughly  in  it.  He  began 
with  "consulting  the  captains  of  thousands  and  hun- 
dreds and  every  leader  "  (1  Chron.  13 :  1) ;  proposed  to 
send  abroad  over  all  the  land  to  call  a  real  mass  meeting, 
but  especially  all  the  priests  and  Levites.  The  measure 
was  "right  in  the  eyes  of  all  the  people,"  and  they 
marched  forth  to  bring  up  the  ark  of  God  from  Kirjath- 

jearim.* One   only  circumstance  occurred   to  mar 

the  joy  of  this  occasion — the  death  of  Uzza  who  put 
forth  his  hand  to  the  ark  when  "the  oxen  shook  it."t 
The  sin  of  Uzza  was  rashness  and  irreverence  for  things 
sacred;  and  the  divine  purpose  in  this  fearful  death  was 
manifestly  to  impress  the  sacredness  of  this  special  sym- 
bol of  Jehovah's  presence  among  his  people.  It  should 
be  remembered  that  the  transportation  of  the  ark  by 
means  of  a  cart  and  oxen  was  all  irregular — the  law 
having  specially  provided  that  it  should  be  borne  only 

by  human  hands— those  of  consecrated  Levites. This 

blow  stunned  and  perplexed  David.  Afraid  to  go  on, 
he  halted  the  procession  and  placed  the  ark  in  charge 
of  Obed-edom.  During  its  stay  of  three  months  there, 
the  Lord  signally  blessed  that  house — a  fact  which  re- 
assured David  and  encouraged  him  to  a  second  and  suc- 
cessful attempt  to  locate  it  in  his  royal  city  in  a  special 
tent  which  he  had  provided  for  it.  Perhaps  this  success 
was  the  more  joyous  for  the  previous  failure.  The  ark — 
borne  this  time  by  Levites — was  brought  in  with  shout- 
ing and  sound  of  trumpet,  David,  girded  with  a  linen 
ephod,  "dancing  before  the  Lord  with  all  his  might." 
His  wife  Michal,  Saul's  daughter,  was  not  in  sympath}^, 
but  as  she  saw  him  through  her  lattice,  "despised  him 
in  her  heart."  On  his  return  "to  bless  his  household," 
she  taunted  him  with  the  insinuation  that  his  exposure 
of  person  was  vulgar  and  undignified  if  not  even  im- 
modest. David's  noble  reply  was — I  did  it  in  honor  of 
Israel's  God  who  chose  me  before  thy  father  and  before 
all  his  house  to  appoint  me  ruler  over  all  Israel;  and  if 
this  be  vile  and  base,  I  glory  in  being  yet  more  so  in 

*■  See  notes  above  on  1  Sam.  7. 

t  So  the  passage  stands  in  2  Sam.  6:  C;  but  the  translators  of  1 
Chron,  13:  9,  render  the  same  Hebrew  word  "stumbled."  Gesenius 
gives  the  word  the  sense,  kicked;  Fuerst,  "threw  down."  The  at- 
tractions of  the  threshing-floor  may  have  been  the  occasion  of  their 
lurching. 


THE   ARK   LOCATED   IN   JERUSALEM.  181 

honor  of  my  God.  Michal  was  barren  thereafter  to  her 
death ;  and  David  showed  himself  to  be  the  "  man  after 
God's  own  heart." 

In  this  connection  no  one  should  fail  to  read  Ps.  24 
and  15,  both  having  the  same  key-note;  "Who  shall 
ascend  into  the  hill  of  the  Lord  ?  Who  shall  stand  in 
his  holy  place  ?  "  Since  the  Great  and  Holy  Lord  God 
has  deigned  to  make  this  holy  hill  his  visible  abode, 
who,  of  all  living  men,  shall  have  the  honor  of  dwelling 

here  so  very  near  to  God? Each  of  these   Psalms 

gives  essentially  the  same  answer — the  man  of  genuine 
integrity,  of  clean  hands,  and  of  pure  heart ;  he  shall 

receive  blessing  from  the  Lord. The  closing  verses 

of  Ps.  24  give  us  obviously  the  very  words  chanted  b}^ 
the  vast  choir  when  the  curtains  [^'  gates  "]  were  lifted 
and  the  ark  passed  in  to  its  inner  sanctuary,  the  sym- 
bol of  "the  King  of  Glory" — "the  Lord  strong  and 
mighty;  the  Lord  mighty  in  battle."  (See  Notes  on 
these  Psalms). 

It  is  in  place  here  to  call  the  reader's  attention  to 
the  fact  that  David  prepared  a  special  tabernacle  for 
the  ark.  The  original  tabernacle,  built  under  the 
hand  of  Moses,  and  borne  through  all  their  wilderness 
journeyings  was  at  this  time  on  the  high  place  of  Gibeon, 
and  remained  there  at  least  till  into  the  reign  of 
Solomon.  The  books  of  Chronicles  are  definite  on  this 
point  (e.  g.,  2  Chron.  1 :  3,  4)  ;  "  Solomon  and  all  the 
congregation  with  him  went  to  the  high  place  that 
was  at  Gibeon,  for  there  was  the  tabernacle  of  the  con- 
gregation of  God,  which  Moses  the  servant  of  the  Lord 
had  made  in  the  wilderness.  But  the  ark  of  God  had 
David  brought  up  from  Kirjath-jearim  to  the  place 
which  David  had  prepared  for  it,  for  he  had  pitched 
a  tent  for  it  at  Jerusalem."  The  same  facts  are  certi- 
fied to  in  1  Chron.  21 :  29,  and  are  implied  in  1  Chron. 
16:  39. No  reason  is  given  for  leaving  the  taber- 
nacle at  Gibeon,  subjecting  the  nation  to  the  evils  of 
having  two  holy  places  instead  of  one;  but  we  may 
suppose  the  delicate  relations  of  David  to  the  tribe  of 
Benjamin  and  to  the  friends  of  Saul  were  prominent 
among  them.  It  may  have  been  a  concession  made  in 
the  interests  of  peace  and  of  tribal  good  feeling,  of 
such  sort  as  no  prophet  of  God  was  ever  sent  to 
rebuke. 


182     PUBLIC  WORSHIP  RE-ORGANIZED,  WITH  SACRED  SONG. 

ly.  The  tabernacle  tcorship  rc-organizcdj  with  the  very 
important  accompaniment  of  sacred  song.  The  develop- 
ment of  this  subject  is  found  almost  exclusively  in  the 
books  of  Chronicles.  The  history  of  David  as  in  2 
Samuel  makes  only  the  slightest  allusion  to  it. In 

1  Chronicles  the  important  passages  are  chaps.  6,  and 

9  :  10-34,  and  15  and  16,  and  23-26.- In  2  Chonicles 

much  light  may  be  found  in  the  history  of  the  great 
reformations — that  under  Jehoshaphat  (2  Chron.  17)  ; 
that  under  Hezekiah  (chaps.  29-31),  and  that  under 
Josiah  (chaps.  34  and  35.) 

Whoever  shall  study  carefully  the  passages  referred 
to  in  1  Chron.,  will  see  that  David  was  a  great  organizer. 
He  knew  the  worth  of  system  and  how  to  secure  it. 
The  vital  points  in  his  system  were — (a.)  A  complete 
classification  of  the  things  to  be  done ;  (b.)  The  assign- 
ment of  these  several  departments  of  work  to  special 
classes,  made  responsible  for  doing  each  their  own  busi- 
ness.  (c.)  In  at  least  several  of  these  departments 

there  was  a  further  subdivision  of  the  employees  into 
twenty-four  "courses,"  acting  as  relays,  ^.  e.,  taking  up 
the  work  in  succession.  But  how  long  each  party 
served  is  not  explicity  stated. 

Here,  it  should  be  said  that  David  did  not  work  out 
this  system  altogether  alone.  The  narrative  intimates 
that  he  had  the  counsel  of  Samuel,  and  also  of  the 
prophets  Nathan  and  Gad.      See  1  Chron.  9  :  22,  and 

2  Chron.  29  :  25. 

In  general  the  work  to  be  done  and  the  assignment 
of  their  duties  respectively  to  the  priests  and  to  the 
Levites  followed  the  law  of  Moses.  David  had  very 
little  occasion  to  modify  the  service  of  the  priests. 
Then,  as  before,  by  the  Mosiac  law,  they  bore  the  high- 
est responsibilities  in  the  Mosaic  ritual;  ministered 
nearest  the  sanctuary;  led  in  the  offering  of  sacrifice 
and  incense,  and  in  the  services  of  the  great  da}^  of 
atonement.  As  expressed  here  (1  Chron.  23 :  13)  : 
"  Aaron  was  separated  that  he  should  sanctify  the 
most  holy  things,  he  and  his  sons  forever,  to  burn 
incense  before  the  Lord,  to  minister  unto  him  and 
to  bless  in  his  name  forever,"  (See  also  1  Chron.  6: 

49). The   great   improvement   in   the  organization 

effected  by  David  related  to  the  Levites.  He  made 
their  former  duties  more  definite ;  divided  them  into 


PUBLIC  WORSHIP    RE-ORGANIZED,  WITH   SACRED   SONG.    183 

classes,  assigning  to  each  its  service ;  and  he  very 
considerably  enlarged  the  field  of  their  labors.  They 
were  relieved  of  their  original  task  of  carriers — bearers 
of  the  tabernacle  and  all  its  utensils  ;  and  therefore 
could  take  on  other  services  in  place  of  those.  (1  Chron. 
23  :  25,  26).  They  were  still  employed  as  before  to 
wait  on  the  priests  and  perform  multitudinous  serv- 
ices in  purifying,  cleansing,  removing  filth,  etc.;  also 
in  preparing  the  shew-bread  and  the  materials  for 
meat  offerings,  etc.,  as  we  see  in  1  Chron.  23 :  28-32. 
They  were  also  employed  as  porters,  having  charge 
of  the  gates;  as  scribes  and  recorders;  and,  not  least, 
as  treasurers — an  important  function  after  the  large 
accession  of  consecrated  wealth  which  came  in  from 

the   spoils   of  war.     See   1   Chron.   26:  20-28. The 

directions  in  which  their  service  was  greatly  enlarged 
were  chiefly  these  three :  the  service  of  instruction ; 
the  service  of  civil  officers  and  judges ;  and  the  service  of 
song.  Very  distinct  reference  to  their  service  as  teach- 
ers among  the  people  appears  in  the  history  of  the 
reformation  under  Jehoshaphat  (2  Chron.  17 :  9)  ;  also 
under  Hezekiah  (2  Chron.  30 :  22) ;  and  under  Josiah 
(2  Chron.  35 :  3).  Very  probably  this  branch  of  their 
duties  was   a   growth,   advancing   from   the   time   of 

David  onward. Much  the  same  may  be  said  of  their 

functions  as  civil  judges,  this  service,  like  that  of 
public  instruction,  resulting  from  the  fact  that  they 
were  by  profession  devoted  largely  to  the  study  of 
the  Hebrew  law.  AVe  read  (1  Chron.  26:  29)  that 
David  assigned  ^'  Chenaiah  and  his  sons  for  the 
outward  business  over  Israel,  for  officers  and  judges." 
Jehoshaphat  made  them  prominent  in  the  capacity  of 
judges  (2  Chron.  19  :  8-11). 

But  by  far  the  most  important  change  made  by 
David  in  the  service  of  the  Levites  lay  in  tlie  direc- 
tion of  sacred  song.  So  far  as  appears  this  was  chiefly 
if  not  entirely  a  new  service — a  new  appendage  to  the 
religious  worship  at  the  tabernacle.  The  provisions 
made  for  it  were  at  once  systematic  and  ample. 
Heman,  Asaph,  and  Jeduthun  (or  Ethan)  and  their 
families  were  specially  set  apart  to  lead  in  this  service. 
The  arrangements  for  music  were  prominent  in  the 
removal  of  the  ark  from  the  house  of  Obed-edom  to 
Jerusalem,  and  seem  to  have  continued  from  that  point 


184  PUBLIC  WORSHIP  REORGANIZED,  WITH  SACRED  SONG. 

onward.  We  read :  "  These  are  they  whom  David  set 
over  the  service  of  song  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  after 
that  the  ark  had  rest.  And  they  ministered  before  the 
dwelling-place  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation 
with  singing  until  Solomon  had  built  the  house  of  the 
Lord  in  Jerusalem ;  and  then  they  waited  on  their  office 
according  to  their  order"  (1  Chron.  6:  31,  32).  On 
occasion  of  removing  the  ark  David  spake  to  the  chief 
of  the  Levites  to  appoint  their  brethren  to  be  singers 
with  instruments  of  music,  psalteries,  and  harps,  and 
cymbals,  sounding  by  lifting  up  the  voice  with  joy.  So 
the  Levites  appointed  Heman,  Asaph,  and  Ethan,  and 
others  "  to  sound  with  cymbals  of  brass : "  "  so  all  Israel 
brought  up  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  with 
shouting  and  with  sound  of  the  cornet,  and  with 
trumpet,    and   with   cymbals,    making    a    noise    with 

psalteries  and  harps"  (1  Chron.  15:  16,  17,  19,  28). 

On  this  whole  subject  the  passage  (1  Chron.  25 :  1-7)  is 
classic,  showing  that  those  men  were  not  mere  perform- 
ers— professional  yet  heartless  singers  and  players  on 
instruments;  but  they  poured  their  souls  forth  in 
sacred  song;  ^^ prophesied "  the  phrase  is — "prophesied 
with  a  harp  to  give  thanks  and  to  praise  the  Lord." 
Due  training  in  music  was  not  neglected,  for  we  read 
that  they  were  instructed  in  the  songs  of  the  Lord,  even 
all  that  were  skillful — in  number,  288. It  is  notice- 
able that  this  service  of  song  was  not  merely  occasional 
(as  seems  to  have  been  the  case  before  David)  but  was 
constant,  for  after  locating  the  ark  in  its  sacred  tent, 
they  "  left  there  before  the  ark,  Asaph  and  his  brethren, 
to  minister  before  the  ark  continually  as  every  day's  work 

required"  (1    Chron.    16:    37). Another  allusion  (1 

Chron.  23 :  30)  speaks  of  the  office  of  these  Levite 
singers  "to  stand  every  morning  to  thank  and  praise 

the  Lord,  and  likewise  at   even." In  the  standard 

passages  in  1  Chronicles  which  describe  David's  reor- 
ganization of  the  tabernacle  worship  and  the  introduc- 
tion of  music,  we  are  not  informed  definitely  at  what 
stage  in  the  course  of  sacrificial  worship  music  and 
song  were  introduced — whether  they  preceded  the  oll'er- 
ing  of  sacrifice,  followed,  or  accompanied  simultane- 
ously. But  in  the  historical  account  of  the  great  pass- 
over  under  Hezekiah,  the  desired  information  apjDcars 
in  full.     Having  put  the  Levite  choir  in  position  with 


PUBLIC  WORSHIP  REORGANIZED,  WITH  SACRED  SONG.  185 

the  orchestra  also  (instruments)  "Hezekiah  commanded 
to  proceed  with  the  burnt-offering ;  and,  when  the  hurnt- 
offering  began,  the  song  of  the  Lord  began  also  with  the 
trumpets  and  with  the  instruments  ordained  by  David 
king  of  Israel.  And  all  the  congregation  worshiped, 
and  the  singers  sang,  and  the  trumpeters  sounded;  and 
all  this  continued  until  the  burnt-offering  was  finished.  And 
when  they  had  made  an  end  of  offering,  the  king  and 
all  that  were  present  with  him  bowed  themselves  and 
worshiped"  (2  Chron.  29;  25-30).  Thus  sacred  song 
strictly  accompanied  the  service  of  the  burnt-offering  till 
it  was  ended ;  after  which,  all,  king  and  people,  rever- 
ently bowed  themselves  and  worshiped. 

We  are  not  informed  whether  the  reading  of  the  law 
formed  a  part  of  these  services  of  worship ;  nor,  if  so, 
how  large  a  part  and  where  introduced.  It  is  highly 
probable  that  portions  of  the  law  were  read  in  connec- 
tion with  some  at  least  of  these  seasons  of  tabernacle 
worship,  the  considerations  in  support  of  this  view 
being  these :  That  the  Lord  through  Moses  prescribed 
the  reading  of  the  law  entire  on  the  feast  of  taber- 
nacles ;  that  the  Levites  were  expected  to  go  round 
among  the  people  and  teach  them  out  of  the  law — 
much  more,  therefore,  should  we  expect  the  law  to  be 
read  in  the  great  worshiping  congregation  at  the  taber- 
nacle; and,  finally,  that  after  the  captivity  the  fact 
comes  to  light  unmistakably  that  Ezra  the  scribe  and 
his  associates  "  read  in  the  book  of  the  law  of  God  dis- 
tinctly and  gave  the  sense,  and  caused  them  to  under- 
stand the  reading"  (Neh.  8:  1-8).  It  is  not  hinted 
that  this  reading  of  the  law  was  an  innovation — a  prac- 
tice unknown  before,  but  it  is  implied  that  the  exposi- 
tion— the  giving  of  the  sense — was  new,  the  necessity 
for  it  being  that  the  people,  long  resident  in  Chaldea, 
had  become  unfjimiliar  with  the  original  Hebrew  and 
needed  some  aid  in  the  way  of  translation  into  their 

Chaldee  dialect. Moreover,  the  subject-matter  of  the 

Hebrew  psalmody,  as  it  appears  in  the  Psalms  they 
sung,  is  so  imbedded  in  the  earlier  Hebrew  Scriptures 
— tlie  Pentateuch  and  the  subsequent  historical  books — 
that  there  must  have  been  some  reading  of  those  ante- 
cedent scriptures  to  revive  in  the  minds  of  the  people 
the  themes  of  those  hallowed  songs. 

In  this  whole  matter  of  sacred  song  as  related  to  the 


186   PUBLIC  WORSHIP  REOPvGANIZED,   WITH  SACRED  SONG. 

tabernacle  worship,  David  bore  a  leading  part.  He  not 
only  played  the  harp  himself  with  such  skill  as  gave 
him  a  national  reputation,  but  he  invented  other  in- 
struments of  music,  to  which  fact  we  find  allusions  in 
1  Chron.  23  :  5,  and  Amos  6:5.  "  Four  thousand  praised 
the   Lord  with  the   instruments  which  I  made,  said 

David,  to  praise  therewith." It   follows  almost  of 

course  that  he  composed  music — as  he  certainly  wrote 
in  part  and  at  first  in  large  part,  the  Psalms  that  were 
sung.  The  first  book  of  the  Psalter  (Ps.  1-41)  is  on  good 
ground  ascribed  exclusively  to  David.  Is  is  also  notice- 
able that  several  Psalms  which  immediately  follow  Ps. 
21 — the  location  of  the  ark  on  Mt.  Zion — were  mani- 
festly composed  shortly  after  that  event — upon  the  spur 
of  that  most  inspiring  occasion,  and  obviously  in  order 
to  provide  at  once  a  sufficient  variety  of  songs  to  meet 
the  wants  of  a  standing  perpetual  service. 

Whether  the  music  of  that  age  would  be  pronounced 
^'classic"  in  our  own,  we  have  absolutely  no  means  of 
deciding.  It  is  hopelessly  lost,  nor  have  we  any  power 
to  reproduce  with  certainty  even  one  of  their  numerous 
musical  instruments.  Yet  of  this  we  may  be  certain, 
it  was  music.  It  had  in  it  some  of  the  harmony  of  sweet 
sounds;  it  had  the  power  to  lift  up  human  souls  to  a 
true  devotional  enthusiasm.  It  bore  on  high  the  out- 
goings of  devout  thanksgiving,  praise,  and  adoration ; 
it  stirred  pious  souls  to  their  depths  of  love  and  grate- 
ful trust;  and,  best  of  all,  was  well  pleasing  to  God. 

Of  the  poetry  of  those  songs,  we  fortunately  have  ample 
means  of  judging.  If  the  music  was  worthy  of  the  poet- 
ry— equal  to  it  in  beauty  and  in  power,  we  can  afford 
to  wish  it  had  come  down  to  our  age  in  all  its  glory. 
That  it  made  the  tabernacle  worship  attractive,  inspir- 
ing, impressive — a  most  effective  means  of  reviving 
true  piety  in  Israel,  there  can  be  no  manner  of  doubt. 
Such  hallowed  songs,  embod3dng  and  impressing  such 
lofty  sentiments,  bringing  God  so  near  to  men  and  lift- 
ing men  so  near  to  God ;  and  all  this  backed  up  by  the 
earnest  example  and  the  noble  enthusiasm  of  a  king 
whom  to  know  was  to  esteem  and  to  honor — these  in- 
fkiences  and  impulses  must  have  wrought  a  great  reviv- 
ing in  the  piety  of  the  Hebrew  people.  It  is  refreshing 
to  contempUite  such  an  advance  in  the  agencies  for  the 
religious  life,  and  to  think  of  the  fruits  borne  to  the 


THE  GREAT  MESSIANIC  PROMISE.  187 

peace  and  piety  of  Israel  and  to  the  honor  of  Israel's 
&od. 

V.  The  promise  made  to  David  that  his  posterity  should  fill 
the  throne  of  Israel  indefinitely — including  and  terminating  in 
the  Great  Messiah.  The  passages  referred  to  are  2  Sam. 
7,  and  1  Chron.  17,  which  with  slight  variations  are  es- 
sentially parallel. The  precise  date  during  his  reign 

is  not  given.  The  allusions  to  other  events  before  and 
after  (2  Sam.  7 :  1,  and  8  :  1)  show  that  David's  own 
palace  was  already  built ;  that  the  ark  had  been  pre- 
viously brought  into  Jerusalem,  and  located  in  its  tent 
there ;  and  that  some  of  David's  wars  preceded,  while 
some  followed.     This  was  a  period  of  rest  from  war. 

The  scope  of  the  passage  is  on  this  wise.  David  sat 
in  his  house  in  meditation.  His  thought  turned  on 
the  magnificence  of  his  own  palace  in  contrast  with  the 
very  humble  dwelling-place  of  Jehovah,  God  of  Israel — 
a  house  of  cedars  against  a  tent  of  curtains.  It  struck 
him  as  being  the  very  reverse  of  what  it  should  be ; 
for  certainly  God  should  have  a  temple  of  unequaled 
splendor,  and  David,  the  humble,  unostentatious  dwell- 
ing-place. The  purpose  sprang  up  at  once  in  his  heart : 
I  will  build  a  temple  worthy  of  God  for  his  earthly  abode. 

He  made  this  suggestion  to  the  prophet  Nathan. 

It  seems  to  have  struck  his  mind  very  favorably.  Go 
on,  said  he,  do  all  that  is  in  thine  heart ;  for  surely  the 
Lord  is  with  thee ;  this  good  thought  must  have  come 

from  him,  and  he  will  bless  thee  in  the  work. But  in 

the  visions  of  the  following  night  the  Lord  gave  Nathan 
the  special  message  for  David  which  embosoms  the 
prophecy  of  this  passage.  Go  and  say  to  him — The 
building  of  my  temple  is  not  assigned  to  thee.  Never 
since  I  brought  Israel  from  Egypt  have  I  spoken  a  word 
to  any  of  her  tribes  or  princes,  as  to  building  a 
temple  for  my  abode.  I  took  thee  from  thy  shepherd 
life ;  have  borne  thee  on  victoriously,  and  placed  thee 
securely  on  the  throne  of  Israel,  yet,  with  never  a  word 
to  thee  expressing  command  or  even  desire  that  thou 
shouldest  build  me  an  house.  But  when  thou  shalt 
sleep  with  thy  fathers,  thy  son  shall  build  me  an  house, 
and  I  will  establish  his  kingdom  forever.  My  mercy 
shall  not  depart  from  him  as  I  took  it  from  Saul ;  but 
thine  house,  thy  kingdom,  and  thy  throne  shall  l)e 
established  forever. 


188  TPIE   GREAT    MESSIANIC    PROMISE. 

We  now  reach  the  great  and  vital  question  of  this 
passage:  Is  the  Messiah  here?  Docs  this  promise  reach 
beyond  the  merely  human  kings  of  David's  line — say 
beyond  Zedekiah,  under  whom  the  kingdom  of  Judah 
fell  before  the  Chaldean  power  ?  If  it  does,  it  includes 
Jesus  the  Messiah ;  if  it  does  not,  then  there  is  no  Mes- 
siah here. 

That  this  promise  to  David  does  include  the  Messiah, 
and,  indeed,  does  look  very  specially  to  him,  is  amply 
supported  by  the  following  considerations  : 

1.  The  impression  it  made  on  David's  mind — so  deep 
and  almost  overpowering — indicates  that  he  took,  not 
the  narrow,  limited  view  of  its  significance,  but  the 
very  broadest  view. 

2.  The  great  emphasis  laid  upon  the  point  of  time 
bears  most  conclusively  in  the  same  direction.  This  is 
by  no  means  a  merely  incidental  and  subordinate  point, 
but  is,  of  all,  the  most  prominent; — that,  under  David's 
Greater  Son,  his  throne  and  his  kingdom  should  "  be 
established  forever^  This  cardinal  point  is  affirmed  four 
times,  as  if  to  call  special  attention  to  it  as  the  main 
feature  of  this  promise.  It  was  this  point,  especially, 
which  made  so  deep  an  impression  upon  David:  "Thou 
hast  spoken  of  thy  servant's  house  for  a  great  while  to 
come."  For  this,  especialh^,  he  prays:  "Let  it  please 
thee  to  bless  the  house  of  thy  servant  that  it  may  con- 
tinue before  thee  forever.'" No  adequate  sense  of  these 

Avords  can  be  cramped  into  the  period  between  David 
and  Zedekiah.  Their  proper  significance  bears  us  far 
on  beyond  the  fall  of  the  last  lineal  earthly  king  in 
David's  line. 

3.  Looking  for  a  moment  into  New  Testament  au- 
thority we  note  the  testimony  ot  Peter,  given  under  the 
vspecial  inspiration  of  the  great  day  of  Pentecost  (Acts 
2  :  80)  :  "  David,  being  a  prophet,  and  knowing  that 
God  had  sworn  with  an  oath  unto  him  that  of  the  fruit 
of  his  loins,  according  to  the  flesh,  he  would  raise  up  Christ 
to  sit  on  his  throne,"  etc.  There  seems  to  be  no  room 
to  doubt  that  Peter  refers  to  this  passage  in  2  Sam.  7, 
for  there  is  no  other  promise  of  God  to  David  on  record 
to  which  he  can  refer.  Peter  inferred  (very  justly)  that 
the  promise  of  an  eternal  throne  to  one  who  was  a 
descendant  of  David  must  assume  and  imply  his  resur- 
rection^ and  an  immortal  life  bcj^ond.     So  David,  under 


THE   GREAT   MESSIANIC    PROMISE.  189 

the  spirit  of  prophecy,  understood  it,  and,  consequently, 
foretold    the    resurrection    of  Christ    in    Pb.  16:  9-11. 

Hence  Peter's  inspired  interpretation  of  this  passage 
makes  it  a  very  special  and  undeniable  prophecy  of 
Christ. 

4.  The  way  is  now  open  to  say  that  this  is  a  ger- 
minal or  seed  prophecy — a  standard  prediction  which 
leads  the  thought  of  numerous  subsequent  prophecies, 
and  which  furnishes  largely  the  current  phraseology — 
the  symbols  and  terms  in  which  later  prophecies  of 

the  Messiah  were  clothed. Both   the  meaning  and 

the  force  of  this  general  statement  will  be  better  appre- 
ciated if  it  be  made  somewhat  definite  by  analysis.  I 
therefore  suggest  that  it  may  be  studied  in  these  three 
points : (a.)  The  Messiah  was  subsequently  pre- 
sented very  generally  as  a  King — a  king  after  the  type 
of  David,  with  a  kingdom  analogous  to  his. 

(b.)  Also  as  a  successor  to  David,  on  his  throne. 

(c.)  Also  as  bearing  in  prophecy  the  name,  David. 
The  latter  point  is  the  more  conclusive  because  he 
was  never  known  by  this  name  during  his  incarnation. 
Among  many  names  given  him,  this  is  never  one. 
It  appears  in  prophecy  only,  and,  therefore,  has  the 
more  unquestionable  allusion  to  this  great  germinal 
prophecy. 

The  Messianic  Psalms,  especially  those  written  by 
David  himself,  must  be  high  authority  on  this  point, 
since  they  reveal  his  own  conceptions  of  the  promised 
Messiah.  If  he  saw  the  Messiah  here,  his  prophetic 
Psalms  should  see  him  in  the  same  general  character 
and  from  the  same  stand-point ;  and,  vice  versa,  if 
these  prophetic  Psalms  give  us  a  Messiah  who  is  king 
on  the  throne  of  David,  then  they  interpret  for  us 
this  leading  promise,  and  prove  its  reference  to  Christ. 
Remarkably  these  Psalms  do  everywhere  repre- 
sent the  Messiah  as  King  (e.  g.  Ps.  2)  :  "  The  kings  of 
the  earth  set  themselves  against  Jehovah  and  against 
his  anointed"  [King];  "Yet  have  I  set  my  King  upon 
my  holy  hill  of  Zion"  [of  course  a  successor  of 
David].  "  I  will  give  thee  the  nations  for  thine  in- 
heritance" — making  him  king  of  all  the  earth. In 

Ps.  110  (from  David)  the  leading  conception  is  that  of 
a  king :  "  Sit  thou  at  my  right  hand  until  I  make 
thine  enemies  thy  footstool;"  yet  here  he  is  also  "a 


190  THE  GREAT   MESSIANIC  PROMISE. 

priest  forever  after  the  order  of  Melcliisedek "  who 
was  both  kinj^  and  priest.— Of  great  though  second- 
ary value  to  this  point  are  Ps.  45,  written  by  the  sons 
of  Korah,  and  Ps.  72,  by  Solomon ;  the  former  speak- 
ing of  "the  things  I  have  made  touching  the  King^^ — 
whom  "  God  hath  blessed  forever  ^^  i.  e.,  with  a  throne 
established  forever.  The  latter  presents  throughout  a 
King  who  reigns  in  justice  and  righteousness,  with  a 
dominion  universal  as  to  extent  and  eternal  in  dura- 
tion, 

AV^hoever  will  carefully  compare  these  four  Psalms 
with  the  passage  2  Sam.  7,  can  be  at  no  loss  to  trace  in 
them  the  development  of  the  great  germinal  idea  of 
this  antecedent  promise.  In  these  Psalms  the  Messiah 
is  precisely  a  King,  God's  own  anointed.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  the  single  reference  to  Melchisedek  (Ps. 
110,)  the  Messiah  is  a  king  only — no  other  aspect  of 
his  character  is  brought  to  view  at  all.  True,  David 
wrote  other  Psalms  in  which  he  prophetically  sees  a 
suffering  Messiah — to  which,  however,  there  is  no 
occasion  here  to  refer.  They  by  no  means  conflict 
with  his  predictions  of  the  Messiah  as  King.  David 
himself  was  a  tried  and  afflicted  sufferer  before  he 
reached  his  throne — and  so  became  a  more  complete 
type  of  his  greater  Son. 

The  Messiah,  as  seen  by  the  prophet  Isaiah,  is  in  sev- 
eral visions  a  King,  and,  what  is  more,  a  King  on  the 
throne  of  David  (e.  g.,  9:  6,  7) ;  "  For  unto  us  a  child  is 
born ;  unto  us  a  son  is  given  (born  in  David's  line) ; 
the  government  sliall  be  upon  his  shoulders;"  "his 
name  shall  be  the  Prince  of  Peace.  Of  the  increase  of 
his  government  and  peace  there  shall  be  no  end"  (the 
very  point  made  so  emphatic  in  2  Sam.  7) — "upon  the 
throne  o^  David  and  upon  his  kingdom  to  order  it  and  to 
establish  it  with  judgment  and  with  justice  from  hence- 
forth even  forever."  "  Establish  " — the  very  word  coming 
from  2  Sam.  7.     The  strain  of  this  passage,  moreover,  is 

an  epitome  of  Ps.  72. Isa.  11 :  1-10,  follows  a  similar 

line  of  thought.  One  who  is  a  root-shoot  from  Jesse  ; 
i.  c,  a  son  and  successor  of  David,  reigns  with  perfect 
righteousness  and  glorious  prosperity,  and  the  nations 
bow  joyfully  to  his  scepter  to  the  result  of  their  own 

purity  and  blessedness. In  Isa.  55 :  3   the  plirase  "  the 

sure  mercies  of  David,"  looks  toward  this  very  passage 


THE  GREAT  MESSIANIC  PROMISE.  191 

(2  Sam.  7)  as  embodying  and  embosoming  in  itself  the 
fullness  of  Messianic  promise — the  great  idea  of  divine 
mercy  to  a  lost  world. 

It  can  scarcely  be  necessary  to  follow  this  argument 
through  the  Messianic  prophecies  of  the  other  prophets. 
I  might  cite  from  Jeremiah  (23:  5) :  "I  will  raise  unto 
David  a  righteous  Branch,  and  a  King  shall  reign  and 
prosper,  and  shall  execute  judgment  and  justice  in  the 
earth"  etc.,  or  from  Ezekiel  34:  23,  24,  and  36:  24,  25, 
and  Hos.  3  :  5,  where  the  Messiah  appears  under  the 
very  name  David;  or  from  the  visions  of  Daniel  {e.  g., 
2 :  44)  in  which  the  idea  of  a  kingdom  underlies  his 
entire  symbolism  ;  "  The  God  of  heaven  shall  set  up  a 
kingdom  which  shall  never  be  destroyed,"  etc. ;  or  from 
Zech.  9 :  9, 10 :  "  Shout,  0  daughter  of  Jerusalem ;  behold, 
thy  King  cometh  to  thee ;  he  is  just  and  having  salva- 
tion;  lowly,  and  riding  upon  an  ass;  he  shall  speak 
peace  to  the  nations,  and  his  dominion  shall  be  from 

sea  to  sea,"  etc. But  ^ye  ought  not  to  overlook  the 

sublime  strains  of  those  latest  prophets  who,  standing 
in  the  presence  of  the  infant  Jesus,  foresaw  his  future 
triumphs  and  gave  their  interpretation  of  these  earliest 
promises  made  to  David.  The  angel  Gabriel  brought 
down  these  words  prophetic  of  Jesus:  "The  Lord  God 
shall  give  unto  him  the  throne  of  his  father  David,  and 
he  shall  reign  over  the  house  of  Jacob  forever  and  ever, 
and  of  his  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end"  (Luke  1 :  32, 
33) — the  whole  costume — every  figure  and  allusion, 
coming  from  our  passage  (2  Sam.  7),  and  from  later  pro- 
phecies which  run  in  the  same  strain.  So  Zacharias, 
filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost:  "Blessed  be  the  Lord  God 
of  Israel  for  having  raised  up  an  horn  of  Salvation  "  (a 
powerful  Savior)  for  us  in  the  house  of  his  servant 
David,  under  whom  we  shall  be  saved  from  our  enemies," 
etc. — he  being  a  real  king  over  his  people. 

Let  us  close  with  the  testimony  of  Paul,  from  whose 
sermon  at  Antioch  (Acts  13 :  22,  23),  we  may  read — "  I 
have  found  David  the  Son  of  Jesse,  a  man  after  mine 
own  heart  j  of  this  man's  seed  hath  God  according  to  his 
promise,  raised  unto  Israel  a  Savior,  Jesus  " — the  promise 

referred  to  being  none  other  than  this  in  2  Sam.  7. 

These  citations  and  allusions  will  suffice  for  specimens 
of  the  prophecies  which  follow  the  general  line  of 
thought  in  our  passage,  and  show  that  inspired  proph- 


\ 


192  THE  GREAT  MESSIANIC  PROMISE. 

ets,  both  of  the  Old  Testament  and  of  the  New,  saw 
in  it  the  promised  Messiah  and  borrowed  from  it  more 
or  less  fully  the  figures  and  concej)tions  under  which 
most  commonly  they  thought  and  spoke  of  him. 

It  is  no  objection  to  the  reference  of  this  prophecy  in 
part  to  the  Messiah  that  it  also  refers  in  part  to  Solomon. 
Solomon  stood  in  the  nearer  future ;  Jesus,  in  the  more 
remote  :  Solomon  the  first  in  this  line  of  succession  from 
David;  Jesus,  the  last.  Of  Solomon  it  is  said  (2  Sam. 
7  :  13)  "  He  shall  build  a  house  for  my  name."  To  him 
specially  does  this  apply:  "If  he  commit  iniquity,  I 
will  chasten  him  with  the  rod  of  men  and  with  the 
stripes  of  the  children  of  men,"  i.  e.^  with  chastisement 
such  in  general  character  as  fathers  administer  to  their 
wayward  sons  for  their  moral  good.  Some  readers  are 
in  danger  of  overlooking  the  antithesis  here  between 
Solomon  and  Saul.  From  the  former  God  would  not 
take  away  his  mercy ;  from  the  latter  he  did  :  the  former 
he  would  chasten  as  a  father  the  son  in  whom  he  de- 
lighted and  whom  it  is  the  purpose  of  his  heart  to  save ; 
the  latter  God  abandoned  to  his  deserved  doom  with  no 
corrective  discipline,  for  whom  the  Lord  loveth  he 
chasteneth.  Hence,  Saul  was  lost ;  but  Solomon,  thouqjh 
at  one  time  sadly  apostate,  was  brought  back  by  God's 
good  chastisement  and  saved.  David's  heart  might  well 
have  comfort  in  these  promises  concerning  Solomon; 
far  more  in  the  greater  promises  in  regard  to  his  far 
greater  Son  in  whom  only  could  the  promise  of  a  throne 
and  kingdom  established  forever  find  their  fulfilment. 

We  have  frequently  found  the  history  of  David  as 
given  in  the  historical  books  supplemented  by  the 
Psalms  written  under  the  first  impressions  of  those  his- 
toric events.  In  the  case  before  us,  (this  first  great 
promise  in  2  Sam.  7,  and  1  Chron.  17),  it  is  very  obvious 
that  David's  prophetic  Psalms  (e.  g.,  Ps.  2  and  110)  were 
an  outgrowth  and  fuller  development  of  the  germinal 
idea  given  him  here.  But,  not  to  dwell  more  at  length 
on  these  prophetic  Psalms,  let  us  note  especially  the 
remarkable  coincidence  in  spirit  and  sentiment  be- 
tween the  David  whom  we  see  here  (2  Sam.  7:  18,  19), 
saying:  "Who  am  I,  0  Lord  God,  and  what  is  mine 
house  that  thou  hast  brought  me  hitherto?" — and  the 
David  whom  we  hear  in  Ps.  8,  saying :  "  What  is  man 
that  thou  art  mindful  of  him  and  the  son  of  man  that 


193 

thou  visitest  him?  for  thou  hast  made  him  only  a  little 
lower  than  God  (so  the  Heb.),  and  hast  crowned  him 
with  glor}^  and  honor."  Paraphrasing  the  former  pas- 
sage, we  might  put  it :  Who  am  I,  and  what  is  my 
house  that  thou  hast  brought  us  to  this  high  honor  of 
being  the  ancestors  of  the  Great  Messiah,  holding  a 
throne  that  is  to  be  perpetuated  through  indefinite  ages 
— to  become  the  joy  of  the  whole  earth  and  to  reveal 

forevermore  the  good-will  of  God  to  men? In  like 

manner,  paraphrasing  the  latter,  we  might  give  it : 
What  is  man,  frail,  weak  man,  that  thou  shouldest  be 
so  lovingly  mindful  of  him  and  shouldest  visit  him  so, 
coming  down  to  dwell  incarnate  with  him  in  the  per- 
son of  thine  only  Son,  and  shouldest  make  man  only 
so  little  less  than  God  by  thus  lifting  him  into  wonder- 
fully mysterious  alliance  with  divinity;  and  then 
shouldest  crown  him  with  glory  and  honor  by  making 
Jesus,  that  great  divine  man,  born  of  woman,  abso- 
lutely Lord  of  all/ In  this  construction  of  Ps.  8,  we 

find  a  line  of  thought  and  state  of  feeling  remarkably 
similar  to  that  which  was  awakened  by  this  first  great 

promise. As  to  the  soundness  of  this  construction  of 

Ps.  8,  see  my  notes  upon  it,  p.  37. 

VI.  The  next  point  in  David's  history  is  his  ivars  of 
defense  and  of  conquest.  The  battle  in  which  Saul  fell 
left  Israel  prostrate;  the  Philistines  entirely  in  the 
ascendant.  So  long  as  David  reigned  over  Judah  only, 
they  seem  to  have  made  no  new  aggressions ;  but  when 
they  heard  of  his  inauguration  over  all  Israel,  they 
feared  the  loss  of  their  supremacy.  They  had  known 
David  as  warrior  and  commander,  and  thought  it  best 
to  strike  before  he  could  consolidate  his  emi:)ire.  So 
they  gathered  for  war;  "came  and  spread  themselves 
in  the  valley  of  Rephaim " — the  great  plain  which 
stretches  toward  the  south-west  from  Jerusalem.  From 
this  position  they  could  menace  both  Jerusalem  and 
also  Bethlehem  and  the  strongholds  of  Judah.  By  the 
counsel  of  the  Lord  David  went  forth  and  smote  them, 
sweeping  them  as  the  mighty  waters  breach  their  dam 
and  sweep  the  land  with  desolation.  So  hasty  was 
their  flight,  they  even  left  their  god-images.  David 
and  his  men  burned  them— fit  retribution  for  the  sac- 
rilege of  the  Philistines  against  the  ark  of  God.  Soon 
they  rallied  and  came  up  again,  taking  the  same  mill- 


194 

tary  position  in  the  valley  of  Rephaim.  In  reply  to 
David's  inquiry  for  direction,  the  Lord  said :  Go  not  out 
to  attack  them  in  front,  but  "fetch  a  compass  behind 
them  and  come  upon  them  over  against  the  mulberry 
trees."  Wait  then  till  thou  shalt  hear  the  sound  as  of 
one  moving  in  the  toj^s  of  those  trees ;  then  strike,  for 
this  is  the  Lord  going  forth  before  thee  to  smite  the 
host  of  the  Philistines.  Done ;  the  Lord  was  there 
indeed,  and  victory  was  complete.  David  drove  them 
from  Geba  (near  Gibeah  of  Benjamin)  to  Gazer — ^.  e., 
through  the  pass  of  Bethhoron  into  their  own  country 

and   almost   to  the    Mediterranean. The    point  of 

special  interest  here  is  that  God  made  his  coming  and 
presence  audible — "  the  sound  of  a  going  in  the  tops  of 
the  trees,"  and  made  this  their  signal  for  the  assault 
upon  the  Philistines.  So  the  Lord  is  sometimes  pleased 
to  make  his  spiritual  presence  manifest  to  the  joy  of 
his  waiting  people,  indicating  in  modes  which  need  not 
be  mistaken  that  their  time  for  assault  upon  the  pow- 
ers of  darkness  has  fully  come. 

These  wars  which  repelled  the  incursions  of  the 
Philistines,  and  broke  the  prestige  of  their  power  are 
probabljr  recorded  in  their  chronological  place — soon 
after  David  became  king  over  Israel  and  before  he 
brought  up  the  ark  to  Jerusalem ;  also  before  the  great 
promise  made  to  him  in  2  Sam.  7.  Other  wars  against 
the  Philistines  followed  these  events  (2  Sam.  8 :  ij. 

At  this  point  we  may  probably  locate  Ps.  9.  (See  my 
Notes  upon  this  Psalm.)  It  meets  the  circumstances 
of  David,  after  some  great  victories,  yet  while  other 
enemies  arc  still  in  force.  "  Thou  hast  rebuked  the 
heathen;"  "Arise,  O  Lord,  let  not  man  prevail;  let 
the  heathen  be  judged  in  thy  sight."  In  David's  thought 
all  his  victories  were  of  God  through  the  might  of  his 
arm.  All  his  hopes  for  the  future  rested  on  the  Lord 
alone.  Why,  then,  should  he  not  exultingly  sing 
Jehovah's  praises  for  his  help,  and  pour  out  his  praj^er 
for  blessings  needed  yet  and  evermore  ? 

The  great  wars  of  David  with  powers  other  tlian  tlie 
Philistines,  viz.,  the  great  kingdoms  on  the  north,  east, 
and  south-east  of  Israel,  are  recorded  only  in  the  most 
general  terms  (2  Sam  8  and  10,  and  12:  2(>-31 ;  also  in 
1  Chron.  18-20).  Moab  and  Edom  were  brought  into 
the  relation  of  vassals — "  became  David's  servants  and 


David's  wars.  *  195 

brought  gifts."  Ammon,  more  abusive  and  cruel,  hired 
a  strong  force  of  Syrians  and  made  a  formidable  stand 
against  Israel — only  to  be  overwhelmed,  and  its  great 
city,  Rabbah,  ultimately  stormed  and  pillaged,  Zobah, 
then  a  strong  military  power,  lay  between  Damascus 
and  the  Euphrates,  and  was  subdued  by  the  arms  of 
David. By  these  conquests  David  extended  the  bor- 
ders of  his  subject  territory  even  to  the  Euphrates — the 
extreme   boundary   given   in  the  original  promise  to 

Abraham  (Gen.  15:  18). Another  important  result 

of  these  wars  was  the  accumulation  of  an  immense 
spoil — gold,  silver,  brass,  in  royal  abundance.  The 
officers  of  Hadadezer,  king  of  Zobah,  are  said  to  have 
borne  shields  of  gold.  Toi,  king  of  Hamath,  a  friend, 
brought  David  as  presents,  "  vessels  of  silver,  of  gold, 
and  of  brass."  Thus  from  these  two  sources— the  spoils 
of  conquest,  and  the  presents  of  friendly  or  tributary 
powers — David  enriched  his  treasury  immensely,  and 
dedicated  it  to  the  Lord,  chiefly  for  future  use  in  the 
erection  and  adornment  of  the  temple. 

As  usual,  the  spirit  of  these  great  wars  of  David  ap- 
pears, not  in  the  history  only  (e.  g.,  1  Chron.  19  :  13),  but 
in  the  Psalms,  which  bear  traces  of  having  been  com- 
]30sed  and  sung  in  this  connection.  Such  with  high 
j)robability  are  Ps.  20,  and  21,  and  68.  (See  my  Notes 
on  these  Psalms.)  Bearing  in  mind  that  these  foreign 
powers  were  strong  and  formidable  beyond  any  others 
known  to  David's  history,  we  shall  see  the  fitness  of 
Ps.  20 — one  continuous  strain  of  prayer  for  the  help  of 
God,  and  of  unfaltering  trust  in  his  name.  Ps.  21 
comes  in  as  the  song  of  grateful  thanksgiving  for  vic- 
tory, making  this  definite  point  of  identification : 
"  Thou  settest  a  crown  of  pure  gold  upon  his  [our  king's] 
head  "  (Ps.  21 :  3).  The  historic  fact  appears  (1  Chron. 
20 :  2)  :  "  David  took  the  crown  of  their  king  from  off 
his  head  and  found  it  to  weigh  a  talent  of  gold ;  and 
there  were  precious  stones  in  it;  and  it  was  set  upon 

David's  head." Ps.   68  is  entirely  adapted  for  the 

occasion  of  the  last  recorded  war  of  conquest — that  in 
which  Ammon  and  its  strong  city,  Rabbah,  fell  before 
the  arms  of  David.  Its  key-note  rings  with  exultant, 
overflowing  praises  to  the  Mighty  One  of  Israel. 

VII.  David^s  c/reat  sins  in  the  matter  of  Bathsheha  and 
Uriah.     Chronologicall}^,  these  events  fall   within  the 


196 

period  of  David's  last  great  war— that  against  Ammon 
and  Kabbah. 

This  one  sin  of  David's  known  life  is  recognized  by 
the  sacred  historian  (1  Kings  15 :  5)  as  so  far  surpass- 
ing all  his  other  sins  in  enormity  that  it  might  be 
said  he  did  that  which  was  right  in  all  else,  "turning 
not  aside  from  the  things  commanded  of  God,  save  only 
in  the  matter  of  Uriah  the  Hittite." 

This  great  sin  had  in  it  almost  every  possible  element 
of  aggravation.  It  was  flagrant  adultery,  for  David 
already  had,  not  one  wife  only,  but  many;  and  Bath- 
sheba  had  a  husband — one  of  the  noblest  of  men,  whose 
record  as  a  brave,  patriotic,  self-denying  warrior,  is  pre- 
eminently spotless  and  grand.  David's  sin  included, 
not  adultery  alone,  but  murder — the  deliberate  murder 
of  this  heroic  and  self-sacrificing  man,  Uriah  the 
Hittite.  One  sin  naturally  leads  on  to  more  sinning. 
Thus  David  sought  first  and  desperately  to  cover  his 
iniquity.  Could  he  not  bring  Uriah,  the  husband,  home 
to  his  own  house  and  bed?  He  orders  him  sent  back 
from  the  field  of  war;  converses  with  him  as  if  no 
dreadful  guilt  lay  heavy  on  his  soul;  and  then  dis- 
misses him  to  his  home.  "There  followed  him  a  mess 
of  meat  from  the  king."  Surely  (thought  David)  he 
will  carry  that  home  to  his  wife.  No;  the  warrior  slept 
with  David's  servants  at  the  palace  gate,  ready  for  the 
stern  duties  of  the  soldier's  life.  But  David  can  not 
iitYord  to  be  baffled,  and,  therefore,  summons  Uriah  to  his 
presence  again  and  urges  him  to  go  to  his  home,  but  with 
the  result  only  of  bringing  out  more  strongly  the  heroic 
spirit  of  the  true  warrior.  "  My  Lord  Joab  and  the  serv- 
ants of  my  king  camp  in  the  open  fields; "  my  country 
calls  me  to  like  sacrifices;  and  so  long  as  she  does,  no 

home  attractions  can  be  heeded. Then  it  occurs  to 

David  that  this  heroic  spirit  may  be  overcome  by  wine. 
He,  therefore,  tempted  him  to  eat  and  drink,  "  and 
made  him  drunk."  Even  then  he  failed  of  his  purpose. 
In  tlie  next  stage  David  rushed  to  the  horrid  pur- 
pose to  take  Uriah's  life — for  how  could  he  meet  the 
disclosure  of  his  guilty  connection  with  Uriah's  wife, 
especially  since  Uriah  himself  is  a  man  so  noble,  of  a 

nature  so  pure  and  lofty? Did  he  let  Joab  into  this 

guilty  secret?  He  found  him  in  this  case  a  ready  in- 
strument for  his  purpose — viz.,  to  put  Uriah  into  the 


197 

hottest  of  the  fight,  and  then  retire  the  supporting 
column,  and  let  him  fall  in  hattle.  This  letter  of  in- 
structions to  Joab,  he  sent  by  the  hand  of  Uriah  with 
no  fear  that  he  would  break  the  seal  and  come  at  the 
awful  secret.  And  he  knew  Uriah  too  well  to  fear  that 
he  would  retreat  before  the  foe  even  if  all  others  did. 
Thus  David  slew  Uriah  by  the  sword  of  the  warriors  of 
Ammon. 

Some  of  the  points  of  peculiar  aggravation  in  this 
double  sin  of  David  are  presented  tersely  and  with  tell- 
ing force  in  the  supposed  case  by  which  the  prophet 
Nathan  introduces  his  rebuke  of  his  king.  The  poor 
man's  one  lamb — his  household  pet;  nursed  in  his 
bosom;  fed  at  his  table;  to  him  as  a  daughter — this 
lamb  is  torn  away  by  his  rich  neighbor  who  had  lambs 
enough  and  to  spare — the  heartless  tyrant !  The  case 
kindled  David's  indignation ;  but,  oh,  how  did  the  ap- 
plication of  it — "  Thou  art  the  man,^^  pierce  his  soul  with 
daggers  of  self-condemnation  !  He  felt  every  word  as  a 
burning  arrow.  Conviction  brought  forth  confession, 
penitent  grief,  and  imploring  cries  for  mercy. 

Now  let  it  be  distinctly  noted :  these  sins  not  only 
had  their  aggravating  circumstances,  but  the  inspired 
pen  records  them.  Not  one  is  withheld.  Not  only  is  the 
crime  charged  upon  David,  but  its  points  of  special 
enormity  are  thoroughly  unfolded.  There  is  no  attempt 
to  suppress  a  single  fact  bearing  upon  the  aggravation 
and  guilt  of  these  sins. Moreover,  there  is  no  con- 
cealment or  suppression  of  the  fact  that  these  great  sins 
were  utterly  displeasing  to  God.  He  did,  indeed,  for- 
give the  royal  penitent ;  but  he  took  care  that  these 
dreadful  sins  should  be  rebuked  over  and  over  again; 
brought  up  to  David's  sad  remembrance;  brought  out 
in  sunlight  before  the  nation  and  before  the  world. 
First,  the  babe  is  smitten,  and  after  seven  days  of  linger- 
ing life  and  prolonged  suffering— David  meanwhile  on 
the  ground,  weeping,  fasting,  praying — the  child  dies. 
Then  came  those  dreadful  scenes  of  lust  and  murder 
among  his  own  sons  and  daughters — Tamar  ravished; 
the  guilty  Amnon,  David's  first  born,  murdered  by  his 
brother  Absalom  : — how  terribly  suggestive  of  his  own 
example  before  these  very  children!  How  hot  with 
scorching  rebuke !  What  griefs  harrowed  his  sensitive 
spirit  W'hen  it  became  known  to  him  and  to  all  Israel 


198  David's  great  sins. 

that  Absalom  had  outraged  his  father's  bed  I  Then  he 
drove  that  father  from  his  pahice,  city,  and  throne! 
Bitterest  of  all,  Absalom  dies  in  his  sins !  David  could 
bear  the  vilest  indignities;  the  basest  ingratitude 
toward  himself;  the  foulest  treason ;  the  sadness  of  en- 
forced exile;  but  oh  I  when  the  tidings  came  that  Absa- 
lom was  dead — his  own  guilty  son  dead — gone — lost, 
amid  the  horrors  of  unpardoned  sin — alas,  this  filled  his 
cup  of  woe !  Did  he  not  then  recall  his  own  sin  in  the 
matter  of  Bathsheba  and  Uriah  the  Hittite  ?  Alas ! 
how  does  God  bring  the  sins  of  men  to  their  remem- 
brance, and  make  them  feel  in  the  depth  of  their  souls 
that  it  is  a  fearful  thing  to  sin ! 

Another  line  of  thought  and  feeling  is  fitly  awakened 
by  these  scenes  in  the  life  of  David.  We  can  not  think 
of  him  as  if  he  w^ere  one  of  the  fallen  angels — a  junior 
brother  of  Satan  or  of  Moloch.  He  was  one  of  our  own 
ftillen  race,  a  brother  to  our  very  selves.  If  he  had  pas- 
sions tempting  him  into  awful  sin,  so  have  we.  If  he 
could  so  far  forget  his  manhood,  his  piety,  his  obligations 
to  his  Infinite  Benefactor,  his  relations  to  the  noble  war- 
riors in  the  field  and  to  their  virtuous  wives  at  home, 
as  to  fall  into  these  most  grievous  sins,  so,  alas,  may  we. 
This  fearful  record  lies  against  our  own  fallen  nature. 
If  we,  personally,  have  been  kept  from  sins  so  great 
and  aggravated,  let  us  rather  honor  the  grace  that  has 
saved  than  plume  ourselves  on  the  assumption  of  better 

self-control  and  purer  virtue. We  have,  then,  a  real 

though  sad  interest  in  the  most  tragic  and  painful 
scenes  of  human  sinning.  It  were  well  if  this  interest 
shall  move  us  to  such  a  study  of  David's  case  as  will  be 
morally  wholesome.  It  stands  on  the  scripture  record 
for  the  sake  of  its  great  moral  lessons. 

We  have  followed  the  thread  of  the  narrative,  noting 
the  circumstances  of  these  sins  and  the  suggestive  provi- 
dences with  which  the  Lord  followed  them  through  most 

of  the  remaining  years  of  David's  life. Besides  these 

records,  we  have  two  Psalms  bearing  very  directly  upon 
the  cxyjeriences  of  this  sinning  man.  Ps.  51  reveals 
David's  heart  at  the  point  where  tlie  friendly,  faithful 
liand  of  Nathan  held  up  before  him  the  aggravation  of 
his  sin,  and  gave  him  God's  view  of  it.  We  hear  him 
crying  out  for  mercy  in  the  bitterness  of  his  pangs.  He 
seems  to  lose  sight  of  every  thing  else  but  God.     His 


David's  great  sins.  199 

sins  are  seen  as  if  committed  against  God  only.  Oh, 
can  he  ever  be  forgiven?  And  if  forgiven,  can  he  hope 
to  be  so  washed  and  cleansed  and  lifted  above  tempta- 
tion's power  that  he  shall  never  fall  again  ? These 

are  the  words  of  his  prayer.  Never  were  fitter  words 
poured  forth  from  a  penitent  soul.  It  is  refreshing  to 
think  how  often  they  have  come  to  the  thought  and  to 
the  lips  of  other  smitten,  consciously  guilty  souls,  and 
have  helped  to  bear  up  to  God  the  broken-hearted  sighs 
and  struggling  prayers  of  men  longing  for  pardon  and 
salvation. There  is  yet  another  Psalm  which  mani- 
festly pertains  to  David's  experience  in  this  great  sin, 
viz.,  Ps.  32.  It  seems  to  have  been  written  a  little  later 
than  Ps.  51,  and  yet  to  record  in  part  his  earlier  ex- 
perience. It  is  well  to  consider  that  an  interval  of  some 
time — some  weeks  or  months  at  least — occurred  between 
David's  sin  and  his  repentance.  What  of  his  state  of 
mind  then?  Was  all  well  within?  Did  the  light  of 
the  Lord  shine  sweetly  on  his  soul?    Was  he  resting 

calmly  on  the  everlasting  promises? This   Ps.  32 

has  some  words  bearing  to  these  points  :  "  When  I  kept 
silence,  my  bones  waxed  old  through  my  roaring  all  the 
day  long.  For  day  and  night  thy  hand  was  heavy  upon 
me ;  my  moisture  was  turned  into  the  drought  of  sum- 
mer."  Ah,  what  sadness  of  woe !    What  a  withering 

of  all  the  juices  of  the  soul's  life  I    W^hat  a  living  death  ! 

So  it  was,  lon^  as  the  sinner  kept  silence.    No  relief 

came  until  he  acknowledged  his  sin  unto  God  and  con- 
fessed all  his  transgressions.  Then  there  came  the  first 
gleam  of  hope  and  joy: — "Thou  forgavest  the  iniquity 

of  my  sin." This  is  the  key-note  of  the  Psalm :  Oh, 

the  blessedness  of  the  sense  of  pardon !  Oh,  the  rest, 
the  peace,  the  strange  transition  from  the  agony  of  the 
unrepentant  soul  to  the  repose,  the  mellowness,  the  very 
tears  of  joy  which  come  with  a  sense  of  being  indeed 

forgiven! It  is  precious  to  have  David's  testimony 

to  these  experiences  of  his  once  sinning  and  then  peni- 
tent heart.  It  came  of  God's  good  providence  and  of  his 
guiding  Spirit  that  these  great  sins  of  tlie  good  king  of 
Israel  should  be  utilized  to  some  such  fruits  of  instruc- 
tion for  the  ages  that  were  to  come  after. 

\'III.  DavkVs  domestic  calamities,  subsecjuent  to  his  great 
sins.  These  have  been  alluded  to  briefly  above.  A 
somewhat  more  detailed  account  should  be  presented. 


200 

The  record  is  found  in  2  Samuel  13-20.  The  books 
of  Chronicles  omit  these  j^ortions  of  David's  his- 
tory. 

In  these  events  Amnon,  Tamar,  and  Absalom,  children 
of  David,  are  prominent.  Amnon  was  his  first-born  (2 
Sam.  3:  2).  Absalom  and  Tamar  were  not  on  the 
mother's  side  of  Hebrew  parentage,  their  mother 
Maachah  being  a  daughter  of  Talmai,  king  of  Geshur 
(2  Sam.  3  :  3).     This  petty  kingdom  lay  on  the  N.  E. 

border  of  Palestine  in  the  vicinity  of  Bashan. Such 

a  marriage  was  condemned  by  both  the  letter  and  the 
spirit  of  the  Hebrew  law.  In  the  present  case  it  was 
prolific  only  of  evil  to  David  and  to  his  house.  What 
inducements — whether  political  or  personal — led  him 
into  this  marriage  connection  do  not  appear  in  the 
record.  Both  Absalom  and  Tamar  are  spoken  of  as 
beautiful  in  person.  As  to  Absalom,  no  other  good 
qualities,  if  he  had  any,  come  to  light.  He  brought 
sorrow  and  little  else  into  the  household  and  to  the 
heart  of  his  father. 

Amnon  appears  badly;  with  no  redeeming  features 
in  his  character.  That  his  love  of  Tamar  turned  so 
suddenly  and  so  meanly  to  hate — what  shall  we  say 
of  it  less  than  to  call  it  unutterable  vileness !  But 
let  all  Avhom  it  may  concern  take  notice  that  ungov- 
erned  lust  will  naturally  dislodge  and  expel  from 
human  souls  ajl  that  is  noble,  and  ^leave  scope  only 
for  what  is  ineffably  base  and  mean.  This  hatred 
in  Amnon's  soul  suggests  that  worst  law  of  sinning 
natures,  which  in  a  sort  compels  the  sinner  to  hate 
whom  he  harms,  and  to  hate  most  those  he  has  most 
cruelly  wronged.  If  any  element  of  human  sinning 
is  more  Satanic  than  this,  we  may  be  thankful  that 
the  resraints  upon  sin  in  our  world  suffice  commonly 

to  keep  it  under. If  any  body  mourned  the  death 

of  Amnon  greatly,  the  record  omits  it.  It  was  more 
sad  that  there  should  be  such  a  son  in  the  family  of 
David  than  that  he  should  come  to  an  end  so  untimely 
by  fraternal  hands.  Incidentally  these  events  were 
among  the  fruits  of  polygamy — the  children  of  envious 
and  rival  mothers  having  the  same  father  were  not 
wont  to  waste  much  love  upon  each  other. 

Absalom,  vain  of  his  personal  attractions  and  lost 
to  all  proper  regard  for  his  aged  father,  set  his  eye 


David's  domestic  calamities.  201 

upon  the  throne,  and  did  not  shrink  from  striking 
for  it,  though  at  the  cost  of  his  father's  blood.  The 
history  (2  Sam.  15  :  1-G)  recites  the  arts  of  the  arch 
conspirator  and  demagogue — an  imposing,  magnificent 
retinue;  a  very  comphiisant  and  winning  address; 
becoming  every  body's  most  special  friend ;  supremely 
desirous   to  subserve  every  man's  particular  interests 

"So  Absalom  stole  the  hearts  of  the  men  of  Israel.'^ 

Moreover,  he  was  young  and  handsome,  and  did  not 
scruple  to  suggest  that  the  king  was  getting  too  old  to 
fill  the  throne  to  the  best  purpose.  Would  not  a  young 
man  do  much  better  ? 

In  V.  7,  "  after  forty  years,"  should  be — after  four 
years ;  or  (as  Maurer)  after  forty  days ;  ^^  for  so  long, 
Absalom  had  been  pushing  this  enterprise,  ingratia- 
ting himself  into  the  good  graces  of  the  men  of  Israel; 
making  special  friends  in  every  city  of  the  land,  who 
when  the  opportune  moment  should  at  length  arrive, 
and  the  trump  of  rebellion  should  sound,  would  be 
ready  to  swell  the  cry — "Absalom  reigneth  in  Hebron" 

(v.  10). To  blind  the  eyes  of  his  father,  he  becomes 

very  religious,  begging  leave  of  absence  to  go  to 
Hebron  to  pay  a  vow  made  during  his  three  years' 
stay  in  Geshur  (13:  38) — put  in  his  own  words  thus: 
"  If  the  Lord  shall  bring  me  again  indeed  to  Jeru- 
salem, then  I  will  serve  the  Lord."  At  Hebron  a 
great  feast  was  provided  and  special  friends  invited, 
his  purpose  being  to  make  this  the  head-center  of  the 
conspiracy.  Under  the  impulses  of  feasting  and  wine, 
all  disguises  were  to  be  dropped  oft',  and  the  cry, 
"  Absalom  reigneth,^''  was  to  ring  out  over  all  the  land. 
Ahithophel,  the  life-long  counselor  and  supposed 
friend  of  David  was  invited.  It  is  reasonably  certain 
that  in  this  case  Absalom  knew  his  man.  It  has 
been  conjectured  that  this  shrewd  counselor  whose 
wisdom  had  given  him  a  national  reputation  (16:  23) 
and  whose  lapse  to  the  party  of  Absalom  touched  the 
heart  of  David  most  keenly  (15  :  31),  had  become  dis- 
affected toward  David  because  of  his  relations  to  Bath- 

"••■  The  nature  of  the  case  forbids  the  period  of /or/y  years.  Jose- 
phus,  and  also  the  Syriac  and  Arabic  versions,  have  it  four  years. 
Two  ancient  manuscripts  have  it,  not  "  years,"  but  days — in  which 
case  it  may  date  from  Absalom's  kind  reception  home  by  his  father. 


202 

sheba  who  seems  to  have  been  his  grand-daughter  * 
Thus  that  great  sin  was  still  working  out  its  fruits  of 
retributive  ill. 

From  this  stage  of  the  proceedings,  the  historian 
turns  our  thought  to  David  (15  :  13  and  onward).  The 
whole  country  is  rising  to  hail  Absalom  king,  and  to 
swell  the  hosts  of  his  armed  followers.  Perils  thicken 
fearfully  about  David's  path.  Expecting  an  immediate 
assault  upon  Jerusalem,  and  reluctant,  it  would  seem, 
to  expose  this  city  and  its  sanctuary  to  siege  or  storm, 
David  proposes  flight,  and  straightway  makes  his 
escape  eastward,  over  Mt.  Olivet  and  across  the  Jordan, 
taking  his  stand  finally  at  Mahanaim.  Naturally,  he 
deems  it  vital  to  keep  himself  fully  posted  as  to  the 
plans  and  movements  of  Absalom,  and  not  beneath  his 
attention  to  throw  some  influence  if  possible,  into  those 
plans.  He  knew  full  well  that  Ahithophel  would  coun- 
sel wisely  for  Absalom  :  Could  he  in  any  way  counteract 
his  counsels  ?  He  will  try.  So  he  sends  back  Hushai, 
a  real  friend,  to  match  his  sagacity  against  that  of 
Ahithophel.  It  proved  an  over-match.  Ahithophel, 
chagrined  by  the  rejection  of  his  advice,  and  j^robably 
foreseeing  the  failure  of  Absalom's  entire  scheme,  put 
an  end  to  his  own  life.  Whether  remorse  for  his 
treachery  were  another  Judas  element  in  his  doom  is 
not  said.  In  answer  (perhaps)  to  David's  prayer  (15 : 
31)  God's  hand  was  against  Ahithophel  as  well  as 
against  Absalom.  Ahithophel,  doubtless,  gave  the  best 
advice  for  Absalom's  success.  If  it  had  been  followed, 
David  could  scarcely  have  escaped.  But  Hushai  knew 
Absalom's  weak  point — vanity  and  passion  for  a  grand 
display.  Therefore,  adjusting  his  scheme  accordingly, 
he  at  once  pleased  Absalom  and  ruined  him. 

The  narrative  of  David's  flight  from  his  royal  city 
(2  Sam.  15 :  13,  to  the  end  of  chap.  17)  will  awaken 
tender  sympathy  for  the  aged  king,  exiled  from  his 
home,  his  city,  and  his  throne  by  a  heartless,  ambitious, 
wicked  son.  With  what  noble  self-forgetfulness  and  in- 
terest in  others'  welfare  rather  than  his  own,  does  he 
debate  with  Ittai  the  Gittite  (15 :  19-22)  the  question 
of  his  going,  or  returning. Shall  the  ark  of  God  be 

*  For,  according  to  2  Sam,  11 :  3  Bathslieha's  father  bore  the  name 
Eliam ;  and  by  2  Sam,  23 :  34,  Eliam  was  the  son  of  Ahithophel  tho 
Gilonite. 


David's  domestic  calamities.  203 

taken  with  him  in  this  flight?  Nay;  let  it  remain; 
"  if  the  Lord  be  pleased  to  bring  me  back,  well ;  if  other- 
wise, let  him  do  as  seemeth  good  to  him." See  the 

noble  king  ascending  Mt.  Olivet,  not  as  ever  before,  but 
weeping,  with  head  covered,  feet  bare,  and  many  a  sad 
thought  of  the  throne  of  his  kingdom,  and  the  house  of 
his  God,  and  the  dear  memories  of  the  past ; — and  with 
thoughts  yet  more  sad  of  those  great  sins  which  his 
righteous  God  must  needs  call  to  his  remembrance. 
With  the  things  visible  and  outward,  there  were  many 
among  his  people  to  sympathize.  Hence  we  read 
(v.  30);  "All  the  people  with  him  covered  every  man 
his  head,  and  went  up  weeping  as  they  went;"  and 
also,  when  they  crossed  the  Kidron,  "all  the  country 
wept  with  a  loud  voice  "  (v.  23).  But  those  deeper 
griefs  that  come  of  the  sad  memories  of  sinning — alas, 
they  are  for  the  sufferer's  heart  to  bear  alone.  That 
these  were  the  most  bitter  ingredients  in  David's  cup 
may  be  readily  seen.  For,  the  fortitude  of  the  soldier's 
heart  was  almost  second  nature  to  David.  He  was  not 
at  all  the  man  to  pale  before  scenes  of  martial  conflict 
or  the  agonies  of  wounds  and  death.  But  here  are  far 
other  ingredients  of  grief  and  woe.  Note  how  he 
receives  the  cursings  of  Shimei :  "  So  let  him  curse, 
because  the  Lord  hath  said  unto  him,  curse  David. 
Who  then  shall  sa}^,  Wherefore  hast  thou  done  so?" 
(16 :  10).  David  saw  in  this  cursing,  and,  indeed,  in 
this  whole  conspiracy,  the  Lord's  rebuke  of  his  own 
great  sins.  He  could  bear  any  and  every  trial  involved 
in  it  save  this  one — the  frown  of  his  own  holy  Lord  God  ! 
We  see  yet  more  of  David's  heart  in  those  Psalms  (42 
and  43)  which  obviously  relate  to  this  period  of  his  his- 
tory. These  Psalms  and  this  history  are  at  one  in  the 
points  of  enforced  exile  from  the  place  of  hallowed  wor- 
ship ;  of  the  location  of  their  respective  events — viz.,  in 
the  land  beyond  the  Jordan — that  of  "the  Hermonites; " 
and  of  crossing  that  river  where  "  deep  called  unto  deep 
at  the  noise  of  its  water-courses,"  suggesting  in  sad 
symbol,  the  waves  of  deep  sorrow  that  dashed  over  his 
soul ;  and,  not  least,  of  the  almost  insupportable  sense  of 
depression  and  discouragement  against  which  his  soul 
is  perpetually  struggling  and  which  it  tasks  the  utmost 
energ}^  of  his  will  to  witlistand :  "Why  art  thou  cast 
down  Oh,  my  soul?    Hope  thou  in  God,  fui  I  shall  yet 


204  David's  domestic  calamities. 

have  cause  to  praise  him  for  the  help  of  his  coun- 
tenance" and  the  joy  of  his  salvation. 

That  David  had  sorrow  and  trial  in  this  war  which 
Joab  and  the  warriors  of  Joab's  cast  of  character  could 
by  no  means  appreciate  is  obvious  in  his  military  orders 
to  spare  the  life  of  Absalom,  and  in  his  agony  of  grief 
under  the  tidings  of  his  death.  Ah,  it  was  unutterably 
sad  to  be  driven  into  war  against  a  beloved  though  way- 
ward son — a  son  as  to  whom  the  father  is  so  painfully 
conscious  that  his  own  example  has  not  been  faultless — 
a  son  whom  God  is  using  as  his  own  instrument  of  re- 
buke and  chastisement  for  those  terrible  sins  which 
David  can  never  forget,  and  which,  while  he  lives,  God 
will  never  let  him  quite  forget ! 

The  death  of  Absalom  was  not  only  tragic  as  related 
to  the  agony  it  brought  upon  the  heart  of  the  father, 
but  it  was  suggestive  and  even  retributive  as  related  to 
his  personal  vanity  and  proud  ambition.  The  mule  on 
which  he  was  riding  we  may  suppose  to  have  been  the 
royal  animal — "the  king's  mule"  (1  Kings  1 :  33,  38) 
which  he  had  seized  as  one  of  the  perquisites  of  the 
throne.  His  hair  Avas  of  so  much  importance  in  his 
eyes  as  to  have  the  honor  of  a  special  mention  in  his 
liistory.  (2  Sam.  14  :  26).  Whether  his  horsemanship 
was  unequal  to  its  task,  or  whether  the  shock  of  battle 
unnerved  him  or  his  beast,  so  it  happened  that  his  furi- 
ous riding  brought  his  disshevelled  locks  into  contact 
with  the  pendant  boughs  of  a  terebinth  tree  and  held 
him  fast  while  the  beast  dashed  away  and  left  him  in 
mid-air  suspended.  Joab  was  only  true  to  his  own  in- 
stincts and  principles  when  he  sprang  to  the  occasion 
for  smiting  down  this  rebellion  by  hurling  three  jave- 
lins through  the  heart  of  Absalom.  Little  thought  or 
cared  he  for  the  grief  of  the  father  when  in  his  view  the 
life  of  the  nation  was  at  stake. 

The  battle  was  fought  on  ground  known  as  "the  wood 
of  Ephraim ; "  but  manifestly  on  the  east  and  not  the 
west  side  of  the  Jordan.     Why  it  bore  this  name  does 

not  appear. It  proved  a  perfectly  decisive  battle. 

The  generalship  and  discipline  were  chiefly  on  one 
side;  while  the  weight  of  numbers  was  on  the  other. 
Absalom  and  his  hastily  mustered,  undisciplined  horde 
were  no  match  against  the  old  warrior  Joab  and  his 
trained  heroes  of  countless  battles. 


David's  sin  of  numbering  the  people.        205 

A  period  of  not  many  days  sufficed  to  restore  David 
to  his  royal  city  and  to  his  former  throne.  The  uprising 
of  Sheba,  a  Benjaminite,  (20 :  1-22)  was  but  a  ripple  on 
the  general  surface  of  that  quiet  into  which  the  king- 
dom settled  down  after  the  death  of  Absalom. The 

same  Shimei  who  was  first  to  curse  David  when  he  was 
fleeing  in  sadness  from  his  city  hastens  to  be  among  the 
first  to  meet  him  with  apologies  and  confessions  on  his 
return  toward  his  vacant  throne  (19 :  16-23).  The 
spirit  manifested  by  Shimei  and  Sheba  indicated  that 
there  was  yet  some  jealous,  tribal  feeling  in  Benjamin 
that  could  not  forgive  David  for  supplanting  the  family 
of  their  hero,  the  first  king  of  Israel.  The  points 
charged  by  Shimei  (16 :  8),  were  utter  slanders — such 
slanders  as  testify  to  the  spirit  that  begets  them,  and 
not  to  any  facts  of  the  sort  assumed. 

Let  us  not  go  past  these  scenes  of  David's  trial  with 
Absalom  without  special  reference  to  yet  other  Psalms 
from  David's  pen,  expressive  of  his  experiences  under 
these  trials.  Such  are  Psalms  61,  63,  64,  and  6o.  Sev- 
eral distinct  points  of  coincidence  in  circumstances  as 
well  as  special  adaptation  render  it  nearly  certain  that 
these  Psalms  were  written  under  the  fresh  impression 
of  those  scenes.  Instead  of  recurring  to  those  proofs  or 
to  the  spirit  of  those  Psalms  as  illustrating  the  heart  of 
David,  I  must  refer  the  reader  to  my  Notes  on  those 
Psalms. 

IX.  The  sin  of  David  in  numbering  the  jjeoj^le,  which  in 
its  result  fixed  the  site  of  Solomon's  temple.  A  narra- 
tive of  these  scenes  appears  in  both  2  Sam.  24,  and  1 

Chron.   21. In    Samuel   we  read:  "And  again  (the 

former  case  being  recorded  2  Sam.  21  :  1-14)  the  anger 
of  the  Lord  was  kindled  against  Israel,  and  he  moved 
David  against  them  to  say.  Go,  number  Israel  and 
^  Judah."  In  Chronicles  (somewhat  differently) — "  and 
Satan  stood  up  against  Israel,  and  provoked  David  to 

number  Israel." The  same  Hebrew  word  rendered 

"moved"  in  Samuel  is  rendered  "provoked"  in  Chroni- 
cles. The  agent  is  said  in  Samuel  to  be  the  Lord,  but  in 
Chronicles,  Satan,  or,  as  some  suppose,  not  the  prince  of 
evil  spirits — the  well  known  individual  Satan,  but, 
taking  it  as  a  common,  not  a  proper,  noun  (it  being 
without  the  article),  an  adversary — some  adversary, 
undefined.     The   Speaker's   Commentary   accepts   this 


absence  of  the  article  as  proof  of  reference  to  some  other 
than  Satan.  Bertliean  and  others  make  the  word  refer 
to  the  prince  of  evil  spirits — which  is  more  probable. 

A  group  of  questions  is  here  sprung  upon  us ;  e.  g. 

(a.)  Wherein  lay  this  sin  of  numbering  the  people? 

(b.)  ^\llat  tempted  David  to  order  this  numbering,  and 

who  was  his  tempter? (c.)  Was  the  anger  of  the 

Lord  previously  kindled  against  Israel  for  some  other 
cause,  and  if  so,  for  what  ? 

(a.)  Did  it  necessarily  become  a  sin  to  attempt  to 
number  the  people  because  God  had  virtually  promised 
Abraham  that  they  should  be  innumerable  ?     (Gen.  13 : 

16,  and  15 :  5). Perhaps   not  necessarily^   yet   there 

might  arise  from  that  fact  a  temptation  to  try  it  in- 
quisitively.  The    passage   (Ex.    30:    12)   should  be 

noticed :  "  When  thou  takest  the  sum  of  the  children  of 
Israel  after  their  number,  then  shall  they  give  every 
man  a  ransom  for  his  soul  unto  the  Ijord,  when  thou 
numberest  them ;  that  there  he  no  plague  among  them  when 
thoic  numberest  them.''^  This  "  ransom "  was  the  half 
shekel  (a  poll-tax),  "offered  unto  the  Lord  to  make  an 
atonement  for  your  souls"  (Ex.  30:  15,  16).  That  is, 
numbering  the  people  was  admissible  if  done  for  good 
cause — this  assessment  of  the  half  shekel  being  such 
cause.  Moreover,  the  charge  of  this  tax  upon  every* 
man  would  naturally  obviate  the  feeling  of  national 
pride  in  their  great  numbers.  The  language  here 
seems  to  imply  a  certain  danger  or  liability  to  sin  from 
numbering  the  people — to  be  obviated  by  the  assess- 
ment of  tins  tax. It  appears  that  the  good  sense  of 

Joab  gave  him  an  instinctive  apprehension  of  this 
danger.  See  2  Sam.  24:  3;  and  j^et  more  strongly  in 
1    Chron.    21 :    3 — "  Why   doth   my   lord   require   this 

tiling  ?    Why  will  he  be  a  cause  of  trespass  to  Israel?  " 

Perhaps,  also,  a  hint  is  suggested  in  1  Chron.  27  :  33  : 
"  David  took  not  the  number  under  twenty  years  old, 
because  the  Lord  had  said  he  would  increase  Israel 
like  to  the  stars  of  the  heaven."  But  David  may  have 
thought  he  had  good  reason  for  enumerating  the  men 
of  war,  and  might,  therefore,  venture  to  go  so  far. 

Opinions  as  to  the  nature  of  this  sin  fall  into  two 

classes. (1.)  That  it  lay  in  the  line  of  pride  over  the 

great  prosperity,  and  the  vast  number  of  the  people. 
(2.)  In  the  line  of  an  unauthorized  poll  tax  upon  those 


David's  sin  op  numbering  the  people.        207 

of  military  age.  The  former,  it  seems  to  me,  has  the 
greater  probability. 

(b.)  As  to  the  question,  What  tempted  David  ?  if  the 
view  above  given  be  the  true  one,  the  answer  is — That 
old  enemy  of  human  well-being — pride  of  heart,  the 
passion  for  self-aggrandizement  and  display — such  as 
would  whisper  into  David's  ear — Who  but  I  among  all 
the  great  nations?  Where  can  be  found  a  nation  so 
prosperous  and  so  populous  ? 

As  to  the  agent  in  this  temptation,  it  was  God  only 
in  the  permissive  sense;  Satan  in  the  personal  and 
positive  sense,  permitted  of  God,  and  by  his  very  nature, 
wanting  nothing  more  than  the  barest  permission  to 
give  scope  to  the  Satanic  malice  of  his  heart,  and  in- 
volve both   David  and  the  Lord's  people   in  terrible 

calamities. It  may,  perhaps,  be  put  to  the  account 

of  "  progress  of  doctrine  "  that  in  the  later  book  (Chroni- 
cles) this  agency  is  ascribed  to  Satan,  while  in  the  book 
of  Samuel,  neither  his  name  nor  his  agency  appears. 

(c.)  As  to  any  previous  enkindling  of  the  Lord's 
anger  against  Israel,  or  any  special  cause  for  anger  which 
became  in  some  measure  an  inducement  to  permit 
this  sin  and  its  punishment,  we  can  only  say — The 
narrative  gives  us  no  light,  so  that  we  must  be 
content  not  to  know. 

Despite  of  Joab's  protest,  David  persisted,  and  the 
numbering  proceeded.  Returns  (incomplete)  were  made 
after  nine  months  and  twenty  days  (2  Sam.  21 : 
8).  The  results  are  stated  variously  in  the  two  ac- 
counts. No  great  reliance  can  be  placed  upon  the 
accuracy  of  this  census ;  the  command  itself  "was 
abominable  to  Joab."  David's  heart  smote  him  after 
the  numbers  came  in.  It  does  not  certainly  appear 
whether  this  conviction  of  his  sin  preceded  the  Lord's 
manifestations  of  displeasure :  the  account  in  Chron- 
icles seems  to  make  it  subsequent.  David's  penitence 
was  apparently  deep  and  humble  (1  Sam.  21 :  10). 
The  morning  after  this  penitent  prayer  the  Lord  sent 
the  prophet  Gad  to  propose  to  his  choice  one  of  three 
plagues : — Three  years'  famine  (probably  three  as  in 
Chronicles  rather  than  seven  as  in  Samuel) ;  or  three 
months  driven  before  national  enemies;  or  three  days' 
pestilence.  The  latter  seemed  to  David  to  come  most 
directly  from  the  Lord  ;  so  he  chose  it,  reasoning  thus: 


20S         David's  sin  of  numbering  the  people. 

"  Let  us  fall  into  the  hand  of  the  Lord,  for  his  mercies 
are  great ;  and  let  me  not  fall  into  the  hand  of  man." 
Whether  this  pestilence  filled  out  three  days  is  not 
certain — the  phrase,  ''from  the  morning  even  to  the 
time  appointed,"  most  naturally  implies  this,  though 
the  Speaker's  Commentary  favors  the  sense — even  to 
the  time  of  the  evening  sacrifice ;  i.  e.,  one  day  only. 

Both  accounts  concur  to  make  the  number  that 

perished  in  this  pestilence  70,000.  It  extended  over 
the  whole  country  from  Dan  to  Beersheba.  When 
it  first  reached  Jerusalem  the  destroying  angel  became 
visible — drawn  sword  in  hand,  standing  at  the  thresh- 
ing-floor of  Araunah  the  Jebusite.  David  besought 
the  Lord  to  spare  the  people  and  bring  this  judg- 
ment upon  himself  only — the  guilty  man.  The  Lord 
bade  the  angel  stay  his  hand  and  bade  David  build 
an  altar  on  the  spot  indicated  by  the  visible  presence 
of  the  destroying  angel.  Noticeably  David  insisted 
on  buying  the  site  for  the  altar  and  paying  in  full  for 
the  animals  sacrificed — a  fact  which  shows  that  the 
cost  of  the  Mosaic  sacrifices  was  one  element  of  their 
moral  value. 

This  site  became  memorable  as  that  of  the  future 
temple  on  Mt.  Moriah  as  we  learn  (2  Chron.  3:  1)  : 
"  Solomon  began  to  build  the  house  of  the  Lord  at 
Jerusalem  in  Mt.  Moriah  ivheix  the  Lord  appeared  unto 
David  his  father,  in  the  place  that  David  had  prepared 
in  the  threshing-floor  of  Araunah  the  Jebusite." 

Comparing  the  two  accounts  of  this  sin  and  of  the 
judgment  sent  because  of  it  (2  Sam.  24,  and  1  Chron. 
21),  we  find  the  diversities  somewhat  numerous;  the 
real  discrepancies  few ;  from  which  the  inference  seems 
warranted  that  these  authors  drew  from  different  origi- 
nal sources  and  not  from  one  and  the  same.  There  is 
not  the  least  difficulty  in  assuming  that  the  contempo- 
rary annals  of  Israel  were  written  by  more  hands  than 
one ;  e,  g.,  "  the  acts  of  David  the  king,  first  and  last,  in 
tlie  book  of  Samuel  the  seer,  and  in  the  book  of  Nathan 
the  prophet,  and  in  the  book  of  Gad  the  seer,"  as  we 
read  1  Chron.  29 :  29.  In  the  ultimate  compilation  of 
the  books  we  have  (e.  g.,  2  Sam.  and  1  Chron.)  the  com- 
piler of  the  former  may  have  had  one  or  two  of  these 
original  documents;  the  compiler  of  the  latter,  the  re- 
maining ono ;   or  if  each  had  them  all,  he  may  have 


209 

found  slight  differences;  possibly  some  discrepancies — 
and  would  dispose  of  these  according  to  his  own  judg- 
ment  or   upon    traditionary   data. 1    have    rarely 

thought  it  desirable  to  discuss  these  diversities  or  even 
the  slight  discrepancies — they  being  of  the  sort  which 
are  passed  over  very  lightly  in  all  history  as  simply 
inevitable  under  the  necessary  imperfections  of  the 
most  careful  annalists.  Critical  labors  upon  the  histor- 
ical books  of  the  Old  Testament  are  frequently  embar- 
rassed by  obvious  imperfections  in  the  Masoretic  text — 
as  to  which  it  is  our  misfortune  that  the  critical  helps 
for  its  correction  are  few,  and  those  few  imperfect. 
There  is  one  redeeming  consideration.  These  imper- 
fections in  the  text  very  rarely,  if  ever,  affect  any  vital 
event  of  the  history,  or  any  important  doctrine.  In 
view  of  this  fact,  all  those  who  candidly  read  and  sin- 
cerely believe  and  obey  the  revealed  word  will  be — on 
the  moral  side — grateful  to  God ;  and  on  the  critical, 
satisfied,  despite  of  such  imperfections. 

We  will  not  pass  on  from  the  scenes  of  these  two 
chapters — the  sin,  and  the  pestilence  which  was  ar- 
rested by  means  of  prayer — without  referring  to  Ps.  30, 
which,  on  the  strength  of  its  internal  testimony  and  its 
heading,  must  pertain  to  these  facts.  These  points  are 
discussed  in  my  Introduction  to  Ps.  30.  The  course  of 
thought  throughout  this  Psalm  is  entirely  appropriate 
to  this  occasion. 

X.  DavicVs  work  for  the  temple.  The  record  of  this  work 
appears  mostly  in  1  Chronicles.  The  compiler  of  these 
books  (supposing  him  to  have  been  Ezra)  had  special 
inducements  to  bring  out  David's  example  in  this  mat- 
ter, and  that  of  his  officers  and  people,  with  great  full- 
ness and  force.     It  would  bear  with  wholesome  moral 

power   upon   the    men   of  his   own    generation in 

the  age  of  the  second  temple.  We  can  afford  to  be 
grateful  to  him  for  the  service  thus  rendered  to  all 
future  ages  by  the  record  of  this  munificent  and  fuU- 
souled  example  of  giving  unto  the  Lord.  Let  us  study 
it. 

In  1  Chron.  18  :  7-11,  we  read  that  David  consecrated 
to  the  future  temple  the  spoils  of  war  and  the  royal  gifts 

poured  into  his  lap  by  friendly  kings. 1  Chron.  22 

recites  with  some  detail  his  immense  gifts  of  brass,  iron, 
cedar,  building-stone,  precious  stones,  gold  and  silver— 
10 


210  David's  work  for  the  temple. 

the  amount  of  pold  beins^  put  at  100,000  talents,  and 
the  silver  at  1, 000,000.  The  data  furnished  in  the  ac- 
count of  the  poll-tax  assessed  upon  the  male  adults  of 
Israel  in  the  wilderness  (Ex.  30:  13,  and  38:  25,  26) 
show  that  the  talent  was  equal  to  3000  shekels.  These 
data  are  (1).  The  number  of  males  who  paid,  viz.,  603,- 
550;  (2).  The  sum  paid  by  each — one-half  shekel;  (3). 
The  total  amount  thus  assessed  and  paid,  viz.,  100 
talents,  plus  1775  shekels.  From  these  data  we  find 
that  600,000  half  shekels  were  equal  to  100  talents,  i.  e., 
3000  shekels  to  one  talent.  The  best  authorities  make 
tlie  shekel  equal  to  274  Parisian  grains, But  prob- 
ably the  mass  of  readers  will  best  appreciate  the  vast 
amounts  named  in  1  Chron.  22  :  14,  if  they  estimate  it 
as  if  raised  by  the  poll-tax  of  the  time  of  Moses.  One 
hundred  talents  for  600,000  men  is  in  the  ratio  of  1,000,- 
000  talents  to  6,000,000,000  of  men.  If  we  estimate  the 
total  population  of  our  earth  to-day  at  1,000,000,000,  it 
would  require  six  worlds  of  the  same  population  with 
ours  to  raise  the  silver  which  David  is  said  here  to  have 
furnished  to  Solomon's  temple.  And  the  gold  was  even 
greater  in  value  though  one  tenth  less  in  weight — gold 
being  to  silver  as  one  to  seventeen. 

The  immense  amounts  here  indicated  raise  very 
grave  doubts  as  to  the  correctness  of  these  figures — 
doubts  which  are  not  a  little  strengthened  by  a  com- 
parison of  these  with  other  sums  estimated  in  talents 
which  appear  in  this  history.  Thus  Solomon's  annual 
income  (considered  immense)  is  put  (1  Kings  10:  14) 
at  QQ(S  talents  of  gold  per  annum — (estimated  equal  to 
three  millions  of  pounds  sterling).  In  1  Chron.  29  :  3, 
4,  David's  contributions  to  the  temple  out  of  his  per- 
sonal estate  are  put  at  3,000  talents  of  gold  and  7,000 
talents  of  silver;  the  contributions  of  all  his  princes 
(in  mass)  at  5,000  talents  and  5,000  drams  of  gold,  and 
10,000  talents  of  silver  (1  Chron.  29 :  6,  7).  The  queen 
of  Sheba  gave  Solomon  120  talents  of  gold  (1  Kings  10 : 
10)  and  King  Hiram  of  Tyre,  the  same  amount  (1  Kings 
9 :  14).  These  were  princely  gifts  (equal  each  to  £540,- 
540).  Placed  by  the  side  of  the  amounts  named  in  the 
text  of  1  Chron.  22 :  14,  they  suggest  either  some  error 
in  the  text,  or  a  grave  doubt  whether  they  are  to  be 
taken  as  precise  arithmetical  amounts,  rather  than 
general  expressions  for  a  very  great  quantity.     Beyond 


DAVIDS   WORK   FOR  THE   TEMPLE.  211 

all  question  the  amount  realized  for  the  temple  from 
the  spoils  of  war — chiefly  from  the  wars  of  David — was 
very  great ;  not  improbably  so  great  as  to  make  an  ac- 
curate computation  and  an  exact  arithmetical  expres- 
sion of  it  very  diflicult  to  the  Hebrew  historian. 

David  did  more  for  the  temple  than  merely  to  heap 
up  gold,  brass,  and  cedars.  He  charged  his  noblest  son 
with  the  responsibility  of  pushing  the  enterprise  to  its 
completion.  More  than  this,  he  breathed  the  lofty  en- 
thusiasm of  his  own  great  soul  into  his  officers  and 
princes.  To  Solomon  he  said  (in  substance) :  My  son, 
it  was  an  object  dear  to  my  heart  to  build  an  house  un- 
to the  name  of  the  Lord  my  God.  But  the  Lord  said 
to  me :  "  Thou  hast  been  a  man  of  war  and  blood,  and 
mayest  not  build  it;  I  will  give  thee  a  son,  a  man  of 
peace  and  rest ;  he  shall  build  the  house."  Now,  my 
son,  the  Lord  has  given  thee  this  high  honor;  be  strong 
and  of  good  courage;  arise,  and  be  doing,  and  the  Lord 

be  with  thee. His  words  to  his  princes,  exhorting 

them  to  aid  Solomon,  are  full  of  vigorous  inspiration  : 
"Is  not  the  Lord  your  God  with  you?  Hath  he  not 
given  you  rest  on  every  side  ?  Now  set  your  heart  and 
your  soul  to  seek  the  Lord  your  God.  Arise,  therefore, 
and  build  ye  the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord  God  to  bring 
the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  and  the  holy  ves- 
sels of  God  into  the  house  that  is  to  be  built  to  the 
name  of  the  Lord"  (1  Chron.  22:  17-19). An  inci- 
dental allusion  to  the  public  treasurer  (1  Chron.  26: 
26-28)  shows  that  a  fund  consecrated  to  the  future  tem- 
ple had  been  accumulating  since  the  days  of  Samuel 
the  seer,  his  name  and  the  names  of  Saul,  Abner,  and 
Joab  being  mentioned  as  contributing — the  three  latter 
probably  from  the  spoils  of  war. 

1  Chron.  28  and  29  are  full  of  this  inspiring  theme. 
David  convenes  his  princes  and  officers,  military  and 
civil;  declares  to  them  his  own  strong  desire  to  build  a 
temple  for  God;  rehearses  the  words  of  the  Lord  to  him 
denying  him  this  privilege,  but  not  debarring  him  from 
the  honor  and  joy  of  making  immense  provisions  for  it. 
He  commits  the  work  to  his  son  Solomon.  Then 
turning  to  Solomon,  he  exhorts  him  in  their  presence 
to  seek  the  will  of  God  with  all  diligence;  to  know  the 
God  of  his  fathers,  and  serve  him  with  a  perfect  heart 
and  a  willing  mind — for  the  Lord  would  surely  know 


212 

whether  his  heart  were  sincere  inasmuch  as  he  searches 
all  hearts,  and  understands  all  the  imaginations  of  the 
thoughts.  "If"  (said  he)  "thou  seek  him,  he  will  be 
found  of  thee ;  if  thou  forsake  him,  he  will  cast  thee 
off  forever."  He  then  proceeded  to  give  him  the  pat- 
tern of  the  house  which  he  had  received  from  the  Spirit 
of  God,  even  to  very  minute  specifications,  not  only  of 
the  house  itself,  but  of  its  sacred  furniture. In  com- 
mending his  son  to  the  sympathy  and  aid  of  his  numer- 
ous officers,  he  takes  occasion  to  refer  to  the  immense 
stores  which  he  had  accumulated  and  consecrated  to 
this  great  work  of  which  much  had  been  drawn  from 
his  own  private  fortune  (1  Chron.  29  :  2-5)  ;  and  then 
makes  his  warm  appeal  to  them  for  their  benefactions  : 
"  Who  then  is  willing  to  consecrate  his  service  this  day 
.unto  the  Lord  ?  "  The  chief  officers,  the  princes,  cap- 
tains, and  men  in  authority,  responded  promptly  and 
nobly.  As  the  record  has  it,  "  they  offered  willingly ; " 
and  more  than  this — they  gave  till  the  joy  of  giving 
became  a  thrilling  luxury  :— "  Then  the  people  rejoiced 
for    that    they    offered    willingly    to    the    Lord;    and 

David  the  king  also  rejoiced  with  great  joy  (v.  9). 

Such  an  inspiration  of  giving  brought  God  very  near 
both  to  David  and  to  his  people,  so  that  David's  soul 
poured  itself  forth  spontaneously  in  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  thanksgiving  prayers  on  record — thus  : 

10.  Blessed  be  tliou,  Lord  God  of  Israel  our  father,  forever  and 
ever. 

11.  Thine,  0  Lord,  is  the  greatness,  and  the  power,  and  the  glory, 
and  the  victory,  and  the  majesty:  for  all  that  is  in  the  heaven  and  in 
the  earth  is  thine;  thine  is  the  kingdom,  0  Lord,  and  thou  art  exalted 
as  head  above  all. 

12.  Both  riches  and  honor  come  of  thee,  and  thou  reignest  over 
all;  and  in  thine  hand  is  power  and  might;  and  in  thine  hand  it  is 
to  make  great,  and  to  give  strength  unto  all. 

13.  Now,  therefore,  our  God,  we  thank  thee,  and  praise  thy  glorious 
name, 

14.  But  who  am  I,  and  what  is  ray  people,  that  we  should  be  able 
to  offer  so  willingly  after  this  sort?  for  all  things  come  of  thee,  and 
of  thine  own  have  we  given  thee. 

15.  For  we  are  strangers  before  thee,  and  sojourners  as  were  all  our 
fathers :  our  days  on  the  earth  are  as  a  shadow,  and  there  is  none 
abiding, 

IG,  0  Lord  our  God,  all  this  store  that  we  have  prepared  to  build 
thee  a  house  for  thine  holy  name  cometh  of  thine  hand,  and  is  all 
thine  own. 

17,  I  know  also,  my  God,  that  thou  triest  the  heart,  and  hast  pleas- 


213 

ure  in  uprightness.  As  for  me,  in  the  uprightness  of  mine  heart  I 
have  willingly  offered  all  these  things :  and  now  have  I  seen  with 
joy  thy  people,  which  are  present  here,  to  offer  willingly  unto  thee. 

18.  0  Lord  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  of  Israel,  our  fathers, 
keep  this  forever  in  the  imagination  of  the  thoughts  of  the  heart  of 
thy  people,  and  prepare  their  heart  unto  thee : 

19.  And  give  unto  Solomon  my  son  a  perfect  heart,  to  keep  thy 
commandments,  thy  testimonies,  and  thy  statutes,  and  to  do  all 
these  things,  and  to  build  the  palace,  for  the  which  I  have  made  pro- 
vision. 

Then  a  response  from  the  people  was  in  place.  David 
said  to  all  the  congregation ;  "  Now  bless  the  Lord  your 
God ; "  and  all  the  congregation  blessed  the  Lord  God  of 
their  fathers  and  bowed  down  their  heads  and  wor- 
shiped the  Lord. 

Giving  careful  attention  to  this  thanksgiving  prayer 
we  shall  readily  note  the  deep  sense  it  expresses  of  God's 
greatness  and  excellent  glory ;  the  transition  from  this 
to  the  littleness  of  man  and  of  themselves ;  their  appre- 
ciation of  the  high  honor  granted  them  to  have  and  to 
know  such  a  God  and  to  feel  that  all  their  good  comes 
from  him;  the  joy  of  their  hearts  in  giving  back  so 
much  of  their  treasure  to  build  an  house  for  his  name 
— all  they  have  being  truly  his  own ;  and  coupled  with 
this  a  rich,  refreshing  sense  of  having  consecrated  this 
wealth  to  God  with  an  honest  and  willing  mind. 

Noticeably  it  did  not  abate  from  the  joy  of  this  con- 
secration and  thanksgiving  prayer  to  think  that  this 
God  to  whom  they  offer  both  their  gold  and  their  prayer 
knows  all  hearts  and  will  witness  to  their  sincerit}^ 
The  climax  of  their  joy  seems  to  lie  in  this  deep  con- 
sciousness of  being  whole-hearted  and  thoroughly  sin- 
cere in  this  entire  service. Fitly  this  prayer  closed 

with  the  petition— May  God's  grace  perpetuate  this 
spirit  of  consecration  forever !  "  0  Lord,  keep  this  for- 
ever in  the  imagination  of  the  thoughts  of  the  heart  of 
thy  people,  and  hold  their  hearts  steadfast  to  thyself, 
and  give  to  Solomon  my  son  a  perfect  heart  to  keep  thy 
commandments  and  to  build  the  palace  for  which  I  have 
made  provision  "  (vs.  18,  19.) 

This  was  one  of  the  last  great  efforts  of  the  aged  king, 
before  he  should  lay  down  his  earthly  work  to  die,  and 
one  of  the  noblest.  A  grander  example  of  munificent 
benefaction— of  giving  with  the  whob  heart,  when 
has  the  world  ever  seen? 


214  ARRANGEMENTS   FOR  THE   SUCCESSION. 

XI.  Arrangements  for  the  succession  to  the  throne.  Con- 
spiracy of  Adonijah.  If  David  had  any  son  other  than 
Solomon,  worthy  at  all  to  succeed  him  on  the  throne, 
the  history  gives  no  hint  of  it — no  light  as  to  his 
name  or  character.  Both  Absalom  and  Adonijah 
thought  themselves  worthy  :  it  is  doubtless  well  that 
the  Lord  thought  otherwise.  The  succession  fell  to 
Solomon,  probably  as  being  prospectively  the  fit  man, 
and  possibly  by  virtue  of  some  divinely  manifested 
choice.  In  his  early  years  he  did  indeed  appear  exceed- 
ingly well,  as  we  shall  see. 

Adonijah,  a  younger  brother  of  Absalom,  missed  the 
lessons  of  wisdom  which  he  ought  to  have  learned 
from  the  failure  of  his  brother's  conspiracy  for  the 
throne.  Probably  he  relied  upon  the  extreme  age  of 
his  father  and  the  youthfulness  of  Solomon;  and, 
not  least,  upon  the  momentum  which  his  movement 
would  receive  from  the  23restige  of  Joab's  name  and 
influence.  But  the  sins  of  earlier  years  lay  heavy 
upon  Joab.  Neither  David  nor  the  Lord  could  forget 
them;  and  probably  his  standing  before  the  people 
suffered    in    consequence.      Adonijah's    real    strength, 

therefore,  was  never  great. Following  close  in  the 

foot-steps  of  Absalom,  he  affected  royal  display;  char- 
iots, horses,  fifty  men  to  run  before  him,  and,  to  crown 
all,  a  great  feast  under  the  inspiration  of  which  the 
trumpet  was  to  ring  out  its  blast  with  the  procla- 
mation— "  Adonijah  reigneth;"  "God  save  king  Adoni- 
jah ! " Nathan  the  prophet  is  prominent  in  counter- 
acting this  conspiracy.  Hastening  to  Bathsheba,  the 
queen  mother,  in  few  words  he  puts  before  her  mind 
the  pending  danger  both  to  herself  and  to  her  son 
and  to  the  whole  realm ;  She  brings  the  case  before 
the  aged  king.  He  rouses  himself  to  one  last  effort ; 
under  the  solemn  oath  confirms  the  kingdom  to  Solo- 
mon, and  directs  the  steps  to  be  taken  to  secure  the 
succession  to  him.  Under  the  leadership  of  Nathan 
the  prophet,  Zadok  the  priest,  and  Benaiah,  now  cap- 
tain-general of  the  army  in  place  of  Joab,  Solomon 
is  re-anointed  and  the  proclamation  thereof  goes 
abroad  over  the  city  in  the  joyful  acclamations  of  the 
people.  The  conspiracy  of  Adonijah  is  squelched 
without  a  blow.  His  guests  were  about  to  close  their 
long  feasting  and  revelry  when  the  quick  ear  of  Joab 


ARRANGEMENTS   FOR  THE   SUCCESSION.  215 

caught  the  trumpet  blast  and  he  started  up,  inquiring, 
"  Wherefore  is  this  noise  of  the  city  being  in  an 
uproar  ?  "  (1  Kings  1 :  41).  At  this  juncture,  Jonathan, 
son  of  Abiathar  arrives,  fully  able  to  explain  it. 
Hearing  his  story  "all  the  guests  that  were  with 
Adonijah  were  afraid,  and  rose  up,  and  went  every 
man  his  way"  —  and  nobody  said  any  more  that 
Adonijah  was  king.  Quietly,  peacefuU}^,  without 
bloodshed,  or  further  delay,  Solomon  was  firmly 
seated  on  the  throne  of  his  father.  Some  old  polit- 
ical offenders— Joab,  Shimei,  and  this  Adonijah, 
were  one  by  one  disposed  of — Joab  with  no  condi- 
tions and  no  interposition  of  clemency;  the  other 
two  under  conditions  which  might  have  saved  them 
from  death  for  their  political  crimes.  Joab  was  a 
hard  man,  born  to  rule;  of  stern  and  resolute  will; 
a  veteran  and  able  warrior  and  little  else ;  a  man 
who  subserved  the  purposes  of  his  king  in  many 
very  important  respects,  yet  who,  compared  with 
David,  lacked  most  if  not  all  of  his  softer,  nobler 
qualities — whom  David  never  could  love,  though  he 
could  use  him  because  he  must,  and  though  he  feared 
him  for  his  dangerous  rashness  and  reckless  viola- 
tion of  David's  known  commands  and  wishes.  As  a 
representative  man  Joab  belonged  to  an  age  which 
in  David's  time  was  passing  away,  and  with  the 
advent  of  Solomon,  had  passed  altogether. 

Abiathar  deserved  his  penalty — that  of  being  dis- 
placed from  the  high  priesthood— the  last  incumbent 
in  the  line  of  Eli,  in  whom  the  judgment,  passed  two 
generations  before  upon  Eli  and  his  house,  received  its 
consummating  fulfillment. 

The  tone  of  the  narrative  (1  Kings  1  and  2)  does  not 
give  indications  that  this  uprising  of  Adonijah  was 
specially  grave  in  character  or  grievous  to  the  aged 
king.  But  it  may  have  been  more  so  than  appears  at 
first  view.  David  was  an  old  man,  passing  that  stage 
of  this  earthly  life  when  "  the  grasshopper  is  a  burden." 
His  vital  forces  were  extremely  low ;  "  he  gat  no  heat." 
Disease  was  upon  him.  Old  friends  from  whom  he  had 
a  right  to  expect  better  fidelity  were  turning  against 
him.  And  this  second  conspiracy  of  a  son,  even  though 
not  specially  formidable,  was  yet  painfully  suggestive, 
and  to  a  father  so  near  the  last  days  of  life,  must  have 


216  dayid's  last  words  and  cpiaracter. 

been    cruelly  afflictive. These    considerations    will 

show  the  adaptation  of  two  separate  groups  of  Psalms 
to  these  scenes  of  his  life  ;  viz.,  Ps.  38-41,  and  Ps.  69-71. 
To  the  careful  reader  of  these  Psalms  it  will  be  entirely 
obvious  that  they  give  the  experience  of  the  Psalmist 
in  extreme  old"  age,  and  under  the  weight,  not  of  years 
only,  but  of  infirmities  and  of  sickness.  Each  of  these 
groups  stands  at  or  near  the  close  of  one  of  the  origi- 
nally distinct  books  of  the  Psalter — the  first  book  closing 
with  Ps.  41 ;  the  second  with  Ps.  72. 1  need  not  re- 
peat here  the  various  considerations  which  sustain  this 
view  of  their  application  to  these  last  trials  of  David. 
The  reader  is  referred  to  my  Notes  on  these  Psalms.  They 
have  special  interest  as  being  the  latest  utterances  of 
that  voice  which  sang  the  high  praises  of  God  so  sweetly 
in  eo.rly  life,  and  which  seems  to  have  missed  no  oppor- 
tunity to  bear  its  testimony  to  a  heart  warm  with  the 
love  of  God ;  for  the  most  part  constant  and  abiding  in 
its  trust  and  true  to  the  high  mission  of  service  for  God 
and  God's  people  to  which  the  Spirit  had  called  him. 

XII.  David's  last  loords  and  character.  The  passage  2 
Sam.  23 :  1-7,  the  translators  of  our  version  took  to  be 
"the  last  Avords  of  David."  The  original  might  be 
translated  either  the  later  or  the  latest ;  meaning,  there- 
fore, either  words  later  than  the  preceding  song,  or  the 
latest  of  all.  There  can  be  no  special  objection  to  the 
sense,  latest,  last. 

The  passage  has  the  distinctive  features  of  Hebrew 
poetry — the  repetitious  parallelism  and  the  exuberant 
imagery.     It  is  also  very  terse ;  consequently  elliptical, 

and  sometimes  in  a  measure  obscure. To  give  the 

greater  force  to  the  few  special  points  he  has  to  make, 
lie  states  in  the  outset  who  he  is  and  under  what  author- 
ity he  speaks.  "  The  man  raised  up  on  high  " — taken 
from  following  the  flock  of  Jesse  and  exalted  to  be  the 

Lord's  Anointed  over  his  chosen  people. "The  sweet 

Psalmist  of  Israel  " — literally,  he  who  is  sweet,  delight- 
ful as  to  the  songs  of  Israel ;  i.  c,  whose  sacred  songs  are 
charming,  mellifluous,  precious  to  the  ear  and  to  the 

soul. in  four-fold  phrase;   in  four  diverse  forms  of 

expression  he  afflrms  that  he  spake  under  inspiration 
of  God.  "The  Spirit  spake  by  me;"  it  was  his  word 
that  fell  from  my  tongue  ;  "  the  God  of  Israel  said ; "  "  the 
Kock  of  Israel  spake  to  me,"  thus : — and  this  is  the  first 


217 

and  main  sentiment  of  this  song  :  "  He  that  ruleth  over 
men  must  be  just,  ruling  in  the  fear  of  God."  Inasmuch 
as  he  is  set  to  act  for  God  and  under  God,  let  him  be 
true  to  God's  high  behest;  let  him  fairly  represent  his 
own  Infinite  King  and  Lord.  God  ordains  human  gov- 
ernment only  for  the  ends  of  justice  and  righteousness. 
Men  who  rule  for  other  ends  and  unto  other  intended 

results  are  an  utter  abomination  before  him. V.  4 

makes  prominent  the  blessings  which  attend  just  and 
upright  ruling.  Such  a  ruler  is  to  his  people  as  the 
light  of  morning  when  the  sun  rises,  even  a  cloudless 
morning ;  and  as  the  grass  which  springs  up  under  clear 

light   (sun-shine)  after  rain. V.  5  is  difficult,  the 

choice  of  constructions  lying  between  the  interrogative 
and  the  affirmative ;  the  former  thus :  For  is  not  my 
house  so  with  God  (^^  e.,  like  these  figurative  representa- 
tions) ?  For  he  has  made  with  me  an  everlasting  cove- 
nant, ordered  in  all  respects  and  sure  (faithfully  kept)  ; 
for  this  is  all  my  salvation  and  all  my  desire ;  shall  it 

not  therefore  prosper? With  this  construction  the 

sense  is  unexceptionable,  but  the  original  lacks  the 
usual   particle  of  interrogation,  and,  therefore,  leaves 

some  doubt  as  to  the  soundness  of  this  construction. 

The  second  (the  affirmative)  construction  -admits  in  its 
first  clause  and  in  its  last  that  the  then  present  indi- 
cations in  David's  house  were  less  propitious  than  one 
might  expect.  Yet  the  Psalmist  declares  his  unfalter- 
ing faith  in  God  notwithstanding — thus :  Though  my 
house  be  not  (just  at  present)  so  blessed  of  God.;  yet  his 
covenant  with  me  is  everlasting — is  well-ordered  and 
kept ;  and  my  heart  is  wholly  in  it  with  my  utmost 
longing  desire,  although  for  a  season  now  there  may 

seem  to  be  no  visible  progress. The  sense  under  this 

construction  is  by  no  means  bad.  There  were  dark 
things  in  the  house  [family]  of  David  as  he  neared  the 
close  of  his  life;  was  it  not  therefore  pertinent  that  he 
should  take  note  of  them  as  things  to  be  thought  and 
spoken  of  in  this  song  of  last  words,  yet  giving  the 
world  his  grounds  of  consolation  and  hope ;  viz.,  in  the 
fact  that  God's  covenant  with  him  is  everlasting — is 
well  arranged  and  ultimately  sure ;  and  that  in  the  end 
his  Great  Anointed  would  come  to  a  throne  analogous 
to  his  own  and  rule  in  righteousness  and  with  tran- 
scendent glory. 


218 

Over  against  the  prosperity  of  the  just  and  honest 
ruler,  the  sons  of  Belial — wicked,  unjust  men — shall  be 
as  thorns  all  thrust  away;  not  to  be  touched  by  the 
hand;  but  the  man  who  has  occasion  to  touch  them 
must  be  armed  with  iron  and  wood  like  the  shaft  of  a 
spear.  Then  let  them  all  be  burned  where  they  lie,  or 
(as  some  take  the  last  word) — for  their  utter  end,  de- 
struction. Wicked  rulers  come  to  an  end  of  unmiti- 
gated ruin.  Thorns  they  are,  torn  out  by  their  roots ; 
handled  with  instruments  of  wood  and  iron  and  without 
mercy;  then  fired  and  burned  till  they  are  no  more. 
The  fruits  of  good  and  just  ruling  are  cheering  as  the 
light  of  the  new  day;  grateful  and  welcome  as  the  fresh 
vegetation  of  grass  and  flower  under  sunshine  after  rain. 
Extreme  and  utter  is  the  contrast  under  the  reign  of  the 
sons  of  Belial.  This  sentiment  is  worthy  to  be  the  last 
thought  of  King  David — worthy  to  be  embalmed  in  the 
poetic  strains  of  his  latest  inspired  song. 


The  Character  of  David. 

There  is  the  less  occasion  to  comment  at  any  consid- 
erable length  upon  David's  character,  because  through- 
out his  history  it  is  YQiwiiv'kiihly  transparent.  The  atten- 
tive reader  sees  the  real  David  everywhere  in  his  full 
and  distinct  proportions.  Nobody  can  doubt  his  sin- 
cerity, his  great  simplicity  of  character,  his  affec- 
tionate disposition,  his  proclivity  toward  strong  and 
ardent  friendships,  his  magnanimity  as  we  see  it  con- 
tinually evinced  toward  Saul,  and,  indeed,  toward 
Absalom — his  two  sorest  enemies.  That  he  had  per- 
sonal courage,  who  can  fail  to  see?  So  also  he  had 
rare  power  as  a  leader  of  men,  whether  in  war  or  in 
peace — a  large  measure  of  that  cool,  independent,  self- 
reliant  judgment,  which  made  his  intuitions  so  safe,  and 
his  success  so  nearly  universal.  This  class  of  qualities 
alone  would  suffice  to  place  him  among  the  world's 
greatest  men. 

In  respect  to  gifts  of  mind  in  the  special  sense  he 
was  thoroughly  a  musician  and  a  poet.  Through  native 
endowment  he  took  in  readily  these  great  arts — poetry 
and  song.  By  means  of  these  gifts,  and  their  early  and 
never  neglected  culture,  he  was  prepared  of  God  to  in- 


David's  last  words  and  character.         219 

augurate  that  wonderful  institution  of  sacred  song  in 
Israel  which  ministered  so  richly  during  his  reign  to 
the  attractions  and  to  the  moral  power  of  the  sanctuary- 
worship,  and  which  has  sent  down  through  all  future 

ages  its  legacy  of  blessings. But  the  best  thing  to 

be  said  of  David  is  that  from  early  age  to  his  death,  he^ 
was  a  servant,  a  worshiper,  and  a  friend  of  God.  There' 
have  been  other  men  of  equal  native  endowments  who 
yet  have  failed  to  fill  any  worthy  sphere  of  service  for 
God  or  for  man,  through  lack  of  this  steadfast  relation- 
ship to  God.  David  was  a  great  success  in  life,  because 
he  lived  and  walked  with  God.  We  may  omit  at  this 
stage  the  one  great  sin  of  his  life,  counting  that  a 
mournful  exception  to  the  otherwise  pure  and  stead- 
fast current  of  his  history. Yet  while  this  great  sin 

and  the  manifold  evils  in  his  family  are  before  our  mind, 
let  it  be  said,  not  by  any  means  as  an  apology  morally, 
but  somewhat  as  an  explanation  philosophically — that  it 
was  David's  misfortune  to  live  in  an  age  of  polygamy, 
and,  moreover,  an  age  when  current  sentiment  made 
polygamy  specially  incumbent  upon  kings.  It  made 
his  family  troubles  still  greater  that  he  went  to  a 
heathen  land  for  at  least  one  of  his  wives — viz.,  to 
Tolmai,  king  of  Geshur — the  marriage  which  brought 
into  his  family  both  Absalom  and  Adonijah.  How 
many  of  his  wives  were  selected  for  their  personal  virtues 
and  real  worth  we  can  not  well  judge.  The  evidence 
scarcely  extends  be3^ond  a  solitary  one  (1  Sam.  25).  It 
is  sad  to  notice  that  while  there  was  at  least  one  (2 
Sam.  6:  16,  20)  who  could  taunt  him  for  his  noble 
enthusiasm  while  the  ark  was  coming  into  his  royal 
city,  we  lack  the  evidence  that  any  one  of  them  ever 
sympathized  with  him  in  his  great  afflictions,  or  helped 
him  in  his  struggles  of  agonizing  prayer,  or  bore  with 
him  the  burden  of  training  wisely  his  numerous  sons 
and  daughters.  Oh,  how  blessed  his  lot  had  been  with 
but  one  wife,  and  that  one  worthy  of  his  own  noble  heart 
— provided,  also,  there  had  been  no  current  sentiment 
or  usage,  according  a  certain  license  to  kings  for  the 
violation  of  their  marriage  vows!  But  David  was 
human,  and,  therefore,  not  altogether  above  the  in- 
fluence of  the  pernicious  sentiments  and  usages  of 
his  time.  To  those  sentiments  and  usages  as  occa- 
sions and  temptations  we  trace  his  great  sin,  and  more 


220  RELATIONS  OF  THE  HEBREWS  TO  OTHER  NATIONS. 

than  a  few  of  the  saddest  calamities  and  sorrows  of  his 
life. 

Passing  these  sins,  every  thing  else  testifies  that  he 
walked  with  God.  If  we  read  his  Psalms  in  connection 
with  the  leading  events  of  his  historic  life,  we  see  the 
evidence  that  his  prayer  and  communion  with  God 
kept  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  ever  before  him ;  that  he 
sought  and  found  help  under  all  the  changes  and  ex- 
tremest  exigencies  of  a  most  eventful  life  ;  that  during 
those  years  of  perpetual  trial  from  Saul,  his  soul  was 
evermore  steadied  and  stayed  on  the  Lord  his  God ;  that 
under  the  glory  of  a  prosperous  throne  he  did  not  be- 
come giddy  and  vain,  but  bore  his  honors  meekly  and 
sought  to  acquit  himself  rather  to  God  than  to  men.  It 
is  wonderful  how  such  fear  and  love  of  God  give  to  the 
great  men  of  earth  the  ballast  they  so  much  need.  How 
safely  they  outride  the  storms  of  life  with  God  at  the 
helm !  A  sense  of  his  presence  impresses  just  views  of 
responsibility,  brings  conscious  help  in  every  need,  and 
precious  consolation,  though  every  other  source  thereof 

should  fail. We  may,  therefore,  think  of  David  as 

setting  before  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and,  indeed,  before 
all  men  holding  positions  of  responsibility,  an  illustrious 
example  of  the  priceless  value  of  true  piet}'-,  showing 
how  it  comes  in  to  make  a  noble  character  and  to  insure 
the  best  success  in  human  endeavor;  how  it  shields 
from  peril  and  guides  in  wisdom;  how  it  ministers 
consolation  where  every  human  heart  needs  it,  and 
glorifies  man  by  keeping  him  evermore  beneath  the 
shadow  of  the  Almighty. 

Mutual  Relations  of  the  Hebrews  to  other  known  Historic 
Nations. 

Before  we  take  our  leave  of  David,  let  our  attention 
be  turned  a  moment  to  the  connection  of  the  Hebrew 
people  with  other  nations  known  to  history. 

With  their  Exodus  from  Egypt,  the  Hebrews  severed 
themselves  for  a  long  time  from  all  historic  connection 
with  Egypt.  Amalek,  Midian,  Edom,  Moab,  Amnion, 
and  the  Amorites  of  great  Arabia;  the  Canaanites, 
Hittites,  and  Philistines  of  Palestine ;  have  none  of 
them  sent  down  to  our  time  any  historic  records  of 
date  anterior  to  Solomon.     Whatever  records  (if  any) 


RELATIONS  OF  THE  HEBREWS  TO  OTHER  NATIONS.   221 

they  may  have  had  have  long  since  perished.  Egypt, 
during  most  or  all  of  this  period — from  the  Exodus  to 
Solomon — was  comparatively  inactive ;  Assyria  was  yet 

undeveloped. That  the  Hebrew  people  came  into  no 

collision  of  arms  with  either  Egypt  or  Egypt's  old  ene- 
mies of  Western  Asia,  peopling  the  valleys  of  the 
Orontes  and  the  Euphrates,  may  perhaps  be  due  to  the 
fact  that  they  did  not  hold  the  coast  line  of  the 
Mediterranean — the  well-known  thoroughfare  of  armies 
— Egyptian  or  Asiatic— in  their  hostile  demonstrations. 
May  it  not  have  been  of  God's  wise  providence  to  leave 
this  coast  line  through  so  many  centuries  in  the  hands 
of  the  Philistines,  and  thus  exempt  the  Hebrews  from 
all  contact  with  the  movements  of  hostile  armies 
threading  that  great  route  of  travel  from  Egypt  to 
Western  Asia  ?  Remembering  how  it  befell  King  Josiah 
(2  Chron.  35 :  20-24)  when  he  came  into  collision  with 
Pharaoh  Necho,  hurling  his  chariots  and  horsemen  upon 
the  rising  empire  of  Chaldea,  we  may  readily  appre- 
hend the  possibilities  of  this  danger.  Until  the  reign 
of  David  they  did  not  practically  occupy  that  coast 
line^the  western  margin  belt  of  Palestine. 

Thus  it  came  to  pass  that  during  the  entire  period 
from  Moses  to  David,  including  the  administrations  of 
Joshua,  the  Judges,  Samuel  and  Saul,  all  the  foreign 
powers  with  whom  the  Hebrews  came  into  contact  have 
passed  into  oblivion,  leaving  no  historic  records  behind 
them. 

With  David  a  new  era  in  this  respect  opened. 
When  he  pushed  his  victorious  armies  into  the  valley 
.of  the  Euphrates  and  smote  the  king  of  Zobah  (2 
Sam.  8 :  3-8)  and  also  the  Syrians  of  Damascus  who 
were  called  in  to  their  help,  he  came  politically  into 
contact  with  nations  of  whose  history  some  frag- 
ments have  survived  to  our  times.  Are  those  fragments 
in  harmony  idth  the  history  ichich  appears  in  our  sacred 
hooks f 

This  war  is  mentioned  by  Eupolemus^-  in  a  frag- 
ment preserved  to  us  by  Eusebius,  thus:  "David 
discomfited  the  vSyrians  who  dwelt  by  the  river  Eu- 
phrates, and  subdued  Commagene,  and  the  Assyrians 
and  Phenicians  of  Gadalene.     He  also  made  expedi- 

*  A  great  historic  writer,  of  the  age  shortly  before  the  Christian 


222     RELATIONS  OF  THE  HEBREWS  TO  OTHER  NATIONS. 

tions  against  the  Idumeans,  and  Ammonites,  and  Moab- 
ites,  and  Itureans,  and  Nabateans,  and  Nabdeans."- 


Nicolas  of  Damascus  (of  the  age  of  Augustus  Caesar) 
is  believed  to  have  drawn  his  information  from  the 
records  or  traditions  of  his  own  country.  He  wrote : 
"  After  this  there  was  a  certain  Hadad,  a  native 
Syrian,  who  had  great  power.  He  ruled  over  Damas- 
cus and  all  Syria  except  Phenicia.  He  likewise 
undertook  a  w^ar  with  David,  the  king  of  Judea,  and 
contended  with  him  in  many  battles.  In  the  last  of 
them  all,  which  was  by  the  river  Euphrates  and 
in  which  he  suffered  defeat,  he  yet  showed  himself 

a   prince   of  the   greatest   courage   and   prowess." 

That  Nicolas  speaks  of  David  as  "  king  of  Judea " 
is  due  to  the  date  of  his  writing  (within  the  cent- 
ury before  the  Christian  era)  Avhen  that  country 
was  known  under  no  other  name.  That  he  eulogizes 
Hadad,  though  recording  his  signal  defeat  before 
David,  may  be  ascribed  to  merit  or  to  national  feel- 
ing. The  salient  points  in  this  fragment  indicate 
its  authenticity. 

According  to  the  sacred  narrative  David  came  into 
special  relations  with  Tyre  and  her  king  Hiram.  (See 
2  Sam.  5 :  11,  and  1  Kings  5 :  1,  and  1  Chron.  14 :  1.) 
These  points  are  made  historically  probable  by  the  fol- 
lowing considerations :  That  Tyre,  Sidon,  and  Phenicia, 
in  general,  led  the  civilized  world  in  the  line  of  com- 
merce and  architecture ;  that  after  David  obtained  con- 
trol of  the  great  commercial  thoroughfare  from  the 
Mediterranean  to  the  Euphrates,  it  became^  vital  to 
their  commerce  to  be  on  friendly  terms  with  him ; 
that  the  natural  trade  with  David's  country  was  of 
priceless  value  to  those  cities — they  giving  cedars  and 
skilled  mechanical  labor,  and  getting  bread-stuffs  in 
exchange.  Hence,  most  naturally,  "  Hiram  became 
ever  a  lover  of  David"  (1  Kings  5  :  1). 

Direct  confirmation  of  the  sacred  history  appears  in 
the  fact  that  the  name  of  Hiram  as  the  king  of  Tyre  at 
this  period  comes  to  us  certified  upon  an  Assyrian  in- 
scription ;  also  in  the  testimony  of  Menander  preserved 
by  Josephus,  of  Herodotus,  and  also  of  Dius.  Dius  and 
Menander  were  Phenician  historians.-^ 

*See  more  at  length  on  these  confirmations  in  Rawlinson'a 
Bampton  Lectures,  pages  89-92,  and  304-308. 


INTRODUCTION   TO   THE   BOOKS  OF   KINGS.  223 

Special  confirmation  appears  also  in  the  nicely  ac- 
curate references  in  Scripture  to  Sidon  and  to  Tyre — 
the  former  in  most  ancient  times  the  leading  city ;  but 
the  latter  taking  the  lead  in  the  time  of  David  and 
ever  after.  Testimonies  from  the  oldest  profane  records 
are  remarkably  in  accord  with  this  change  in  the  rela- 
tive importance  of  these  cities.  While  Sidon  occurs  in 
Scripture  even  before  Abraham  Gen.  10 :  15,  19 ;  in  the 
benedictions  of  Jacob,  Gen.  49 :  13 ;  and  as  "  great 
Zidon,"  Josh.  11 :  8,  and  19 :  28,  Tyre  comes  first  to 
view  (Josh.  19 :  29).  So,  in  profane  authorities,  Homer 
speaks  of  Sidon  often  ;  but  of  Tyre  never. 

Thus  our  scriptural  history  of  David  receives  all  the 
confirmation  from  profane  sources  which  the  present 
state  of  those  records  allows  us  to  expect.  As  we  come 
down  to  later  periods  and  as  profane  records  multiply, 
the  points  of  confirmation  will  be  correspondingly  more 
numerous. 


CHAPTER   IX. 


Introduction  to  the  Books  of  Kings. 

As  has  been  said  already,  the  two  books  of  Samuel 
were  originally  one ;  also  the  two  books  of  Kings  and  the 
two   of  Chronicles.     The   oldest   Hebrew   manuscripts 

and  other  authorities  are  unanimous  to  this  point. 

Josephus  counts  the  books  of  the  old  Testament  canon 
as  twenty-two  on  this  method.  The  fact  has  some  im- 
portance for  its  bearing  on  our  questions  of  author  and 
date  of  compilation.  Examined  and  judged  of  in  the 
light  of  internal  tests  of  authorship,  the  two  books  of 
Samuel  might  be  assigned  to  one  and  the  same  hand ; 
so  also  the  two  books  of  Kings  to  one  author;  and  like- 
wise the  two  of  Chronicles;  while  under  the  same 
tests  we  should  assign  the  books  of  Kings  to  one  author; 
the  books  of  Chronicles  to  another  and  later  hand;  and 
the  books  of  Samuel  to  yet  another  but  earlier.  The 
author  of  Samuel  never  refers  us  to  any  original 
sources;  does  not  say:  "The  rest  of  the  acts  of  Saul, 
first  and  last,  lo  they  are  written  in  the  books  of  the 


224  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE   BOOKS  OF   KINGS. 

Chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Israel."  It  would  seem  that 
in  his  day  the  prophet-annalist  was  but  beginning 
his  professional  service  of  making  permanent  record  of 
the  great  historic  events  of  Israel.  It  may  be  noted, 
also,  that  the  author  of  Samuel  gives  but  very  few 
points  of  chronology — few  compared  with  either  the 
author  of  Kings  or  the  author  of  Chronicles.  If  (as 
is  generally  supposed)  the  books  of  Samuel  were  begun 
by  Samuel  the  prophet,  and  continued  by  his  suc- 
cessors, e.  g.y  Gad  and  Nathan,  the  latter  followed 
closely  in  the  steps  of  their  prophet-father.  Mani- 
festly, the  same  general  methods  of  composition  con- 
tinue throughout  these  books. 

The  books  of  Kings  exhibit  unity  of  purpose  and 
method  to  such  an  extent  as  strongly  favors  the  sup- 
position of  one  and  the  same  author.  He  refers  us  to 
his  original  sources  systematically,  from  Solomon  to 
Josiah  inclusive — but  no  further.  For  what  follows 
Josiah,  he  may  be  presumed  to  have  drawn  from  his 
personal  knowledge.  This  is  one  among  several  cir- 
cumstances which  strongly  favors  the  opinion  that 
Jeremiah  was  the  author  of  these  books  of  Kings. 
Other  circumstances  are  the  marked  similarity  between 
the  history  of  Josiah's  sons,  of  the  conquest  of  Judah  and 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  as  given  respectively  in  the 
prophecy  of  Jeremiah  and  in  2  Kings;  also  the  similar 
moral  purpose  which  underlies  both  books.  Promi- 
nently under  this  head  we  shall  note  the  references  to 
idolatry  as  the  great  national  sin  and  the  ground  cause 
of  her  ruin,  and  a  like  familiarity  with  "  the  book  of 
the  law,"  especially  with  the  judgments  threatened 
against  apostate  Israel  in  Leviticus  and  Deuteronomy. 

Comparing  Kings  with  Chronicles,  we  shall  see  that 
the  latter  brings  the  history  down  to  a  later  point,  even 
to  the  restoration  from  captivity  in  Babylon  ;  also  that 
its  author  gives  credit  in  the  same  way  for  his  original 
authorities,  referring  the  reader  to  them  for  "  the  rest 
of  the  acts  "  of  all  his  prominent  kings ;  moreover,  that 
he  either  had  access  to  other  and  different  authorities 
from  those  used  by  the  compiler  of  Kings,  or  at  least 
made  in  some  cases  fuller  extracts  from  them.  We 
find  that  he  often  gives  us  new  matter;  e.  f/.,  in  regard 
to  King  Asa,  compare  2  Chroh.  14-16  with  1  Kings  15; 
also  to  Manasseh's  captivity  and  repentance  (2  Chron. 


INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  BOOK  OF  KINGS.  225 

33:  11-19  with  2  Kings  21:  1-18);  and  in  general  the 
author  of  Chronicles  gives  a  much  more  full  account  of 
the  great  reformations  under  the  reigns  respectively  of 
Jehoshaphat,  Hezekiah,  and  Josiah ;  while,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  author  of  Kings  gives  much  more  real  history 
of  the  kings  of  Israel  and  of  those  prophets,  e.  g.,  Elijah 
and  Elisha,  whose  labors  were  chiefly  among  the  ten 
tribes.  Fortunately  these  books  serve  largely  to  supple- 
ment each  other.  They  also  stand  in  the  relation  of  in- 
dependent witnesses. 

Recurring  to  the  hypothesis  that  Jeremiah  was  (sup- 
posably)  the  author  of  Kings  (as  I  have  assumed  Ezra 
to  be  of  Chronicles),  it  is  well  to  say  definitely  that  I 
do  not  claim  for  these  positions  any  direct  historic  evi- 
dence. No  such  evidence  exists.  Both  books  appear 
without  name  of  author.  But  in  the  absence  of  the 
highest  and  only  absolute  evidence,  it  may  be  at  once 
X)leasant  and  useful  to  approximate  toward  a  satisfac- 
tory theory  as  to  the  author  of  each  of  these  books. 

On  the  point  of  Jeremiah's  authorship  of  Kings,  it 
may  suggest  itself  as  a  strong  objection  that  his  own 
book  of  prophecy  comes  down  to  us  with  less  of  order 
and  method  in  its  arrangement  than  any  other  book  of 
the  Bible.  It  is  singularly  disconnected  and  frag- 
mentary, indicating  that  its  author  either  had  little 
command  of  his  time,  or  that  he  lacked  a  proper  appre- 
ciation of  order.  The  former  is  almost  without  doubt 
the  true  explanation  of  this  disorder  in  the  prophecies 
of  Jeremiah.  Now,  therefore,  if  Jeremiah,  either  for 
lack  of  leisure,  or  because  of  the  unrest,  imprisonment, 
persecution,  suffering,  of  his  lot,  could  not  put  together 
a  connected  series  of  his  own  prophecies,  how  (it  may  be 
asked)  could  he  write  out  such  a  history  as  appears  in 
these  books  of  Kings  ? 

The  answer  is  at  hand.  The  books  of  Kings  were 
written  at  an  earlier  date  than  the  body  of  his  prophe- 
cies. Nearly  all  his  successive  prophecies  date  after  the 
death  of  Josiah,  during  the  reigns  of  his  godless  sons. 
Then  Jeremiah  was  subject  to  harassing  persecutions — 
almost  never  at  rest  sufficiently  for  quiet  authorship. 
But  his  earlier  life  was  passed  under  totally  different 
circumstances.  Beginning  his  prophetic  work  in 
Josiah's  thirteenth  year,  he  had  eighteen  years  of  un- 
broken quiet  before  Josiah's  death.     Nothing  in  his 


226  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE    BOOKS  OF  KINGS. 

known    circumstances    forbids    the    supposition    that 

during  this  period  he  wrote  the  book  of  Kings. We 

may  go  further.  Not  only  does  nothing  forbid  this  sup- 
position; there  is  every  thing  to  favor  it.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  Jeremiah's  prophetic  life  Josiah  was 
entering  upon  a  great  religious  reformation.  For  the 
promotion  of  this  reform,  he  and  his  people  needed  pre- 
cisely such  a  power  as  this  book  of  Kings  would  suppl)^ 
Every  word  in  these  two  books  (or  one)  bears  with  tell- 
ing force  to  promote  the  moral  impression  which  such  a 
reform  demanded  as  its  very  ground-work.  These  two 
books  give  prominence  to  the  history  and  work  of  the 
prophets,  e.  g.,  Elijah  and  Elisha.  At  this  juncture  it 
was  every  thing  to  utilize  the  labors  of  all  the  previous 
prophets  and  bring  them  to  bear  with  concentrated  force 

upon  the  hearts  of  the  people. The  author  of  Kings 

omits  no  historic  fact  which  would  legitimately  show 
that  the  idolatrous  kings  of  Israel  brought  down  upon 
themselves,  their  djaiasty,  and  their  realm  terrific  judg- 
ments from  the  Almighty.  His  selection  of  matter 
witnesses  that  God  evermore  promised  blessings  to  his 
people  and  their  sovereign  when  obedient,  and  that  his 
mercies  were  exceedingly  great  to  those  who  humbly 
sought  him  and  penitently  turned  from  their  evil  ways. 
Thus  blending  mercies  to  the  penitent  and  prayerful 
with  judgments  on  the  prayerless  and  idol-worshiping, 
these  books  brought  the  maximum  of  moral  power  to 
bear  toward  that  last  great  reform  in  which  the  Lord 
sought  to  pluck  his  people  from  the  ruin  then  immi- 
nently impending. Thus  do  all  internal  testimonies 

combine  to  sustain  and  render  highly  probable  the  hy- 
pothesis that  Jeremiah  was  the  author  of  the  books  of 
Kings. 

On  the  subject  of  chronology  there  is  no  lack  of  state- 
ments in  either  Kings  or  Chronicles.  Both  authors 
usually  state  how  old  each  king  was  w^hen  he  began 
to  reign,  and  how  many  years  he  reigned.  While  the 
author  of  Kings  is  carrying  along  co-ordinately  the  con- 
temporary reigns  in  the  two  kingdoms,  he  is  wont  to  note 
in  what  year  of  the  reigning  monarch  in  one  kingdom 
a  new  king  came  to  the  throne  in  the  rival  kingdom. 
Dating  from  a  fixed  epoch,  e.  g.,  from  the  division  into 
two  kingdoms  at  the  accession  of  Rehoboam,  or  from 
the  dedication  of  the  temple,  seems  not  to  have  been 


SOLOMON.  227 

thought  of.  This  improved  method  of  chronology  has 
been  a  thing  of  later  times. 

It  is  the  affliction  of  all  critics  that  these  chrono- 
logical notices  are  decidedly  imperfect.  It  is  gener- 
ally agreed  that  these  imperfections  are  to  be  attributed 

variously  to  the  following  causes : (a.)  The  use  of 

Hebrew  letters  for  numbers — these  letters  being  liable 

to  be  mistaken  by  copyists  one  for  another. (b.) 

The   practice  of  using  abbreviations  to  some   extent, 

thus  increasing  the  liability  of  mistake. (c.)    The 

practice  by  the  earlier  scribes  or  revisors,  of  suggesting 
corrections  on  the  margin,  which,  by  some  later  hand 

were  introduced  into  the  text. (d.)  The  attempt  of 

some  professed  chronologist  to  carry  out  his  precon- 
ceived system  at  the  expense  of  modif34ng  dates  and 

numbers  to  make  them  conform  to  his  ideas. (e.)  In 

the  series  of  kings  of  Israel  it  is  probable  there  were 
some  periods  of  anarchy  or  of  foreign  rule,  not  defi- 
nitely indicated.  This  may  account  for  the  fact  that 
the  total  years  of  her  kings  from  Jeroboam  I,  to  the 
ninth  year  of  Hoshea  (the  end  of  the  northern  king- 
dom) is  less  by  twenty  years  than  the  corresponding 
sum  of  Judah's  kings  from  Rehoboam  to  the  sixth  year 
of  Hezekiah. 

Under  influences  coming  in  from  one  or  another  of 
these  several  sources  it  must  be  conceded  that  the 
chronological  numbers  in  both  Kings  and  Chronicles 
are  as  a  whole  quite  unsatisfactory.     No  critical  labors 

have  hitherto  been  able  to  solve  all  the  difficulties. 

The  purpose  and  plan  of  this  volume  do  not  provide  for 
extended  discussion  of  these  points.  The  figures  which 
I  give  may  be  considered  as  in  the  main  only  approx- 
imations to  perfect  accurac3^  It  is  fortunate  that  these 
imperfections  of  the  Hebrew  text  are  mostly  restricted 
to  numbers  and  dates,  and  do  not  affect  vital  facts ; 
much  less,  important  doctrines.* 

Solomon. 

The  main  points  of  his  history  may  be  arranged 
thus  : 

*■  For  convenience  to  the  reader  I  place  in  the  appendix  to  this 
volume  a  chronological  table  of  the  kings  of  Judah  and  of  Israel, 
and  also  of  the  prophets  according  to  what  are  regarded  as  the  best 
authorities  accessible. 


228 

I.  His  early  'promise. 

II.  His  dream  at  Giheon:  God's  ivord  to  him  and  his 
choice. 

III.  His  wisdom  and  knoivledge,  and  his  literary  worl's. 

IV.  His  great  ivealth  and  royal  state. 

V.  His  building  of  tJw  temple  and  its  consecration. 

VI.  The  second  vision  at  Griheon. 

VII.  His  foreign  relations;  political,  commercial,  social, 
domestic. 

VIII.  His  apostasy  from  God;  its  antecedents  and  occa- 
sions. 

IX.  His  repentance  ;  the  evidence  in  the  case. 

X.  The  influence  of  this  reign  upon  the  moral  and  religious 
state  of  Israel. 

XI.  Points  of  contact  with  p)rofane  history. 

I.  Solomon'' s  early  promise.  In  common  with  Saul, 
Israel's  first  king,  Solomon,  at  least  in  his  early  life, 
was  modest  and  humble,  neither  self-conceited  nor 
vain.  Both  had  at  first  a  Teasonabl}^  just  sense  of 
the  great  responsibilities  of  a  king.  This  is  more 
apparent  in  Solomon  than  ever  in  Saul,  and  consti- 
tuted one  of  the  brightest  token  of  his  future  promise. 
His  strong  desire  to  rule  well,  coupled  with  a  sense 
of  personal  obligation  to  God,  which  was  evinced 
in  his  devotion  to  religious  duties,  must  have  in- 
spired large  expectations  in  the  hearts  of  the  saga- 
cious elders  of  Israel,  and  if  evinced  fully  to  David 
before  his  death,  must  have  been  exceedingly  gratify- 
ing to  him.  The  record  in  1  Chron.  28 :  9-iO,  20,  21, 
gives  very  fully  the  warm  parental  exhortations  with 
which  David  devolved  upon  his  hopeful  son  these 
great  responsibilities,  but  drops  not  a  word  of  re23ly 
from  Solomon;  nothing  to  indicate  the  spirit  with 
which  he  received  these  exhortations.  But  when  he 
entered  upon  his  royal  duties  his  spirit  became  at 
once  apparent,  giving  the  best  of  testimony  that  the 
counsels  of  his  dying  father  had  gone  to  his  heart. 
Such  regard  for  wise  parental  counsels  is  in  any  young 
man  among  the  brightest  and  best  elements  of  future 
promise. 

II.  Solomonh  dream  at  Giheon :  God's  word  to  him  and 
his  choice.  Of  this  great  event  the  staple  facts  are  given 
in  both  Kings  and  Chronicles  (1  Kings  3 :  4-15,  and  2 
Chron.  1 :  2-12),  but  most  fully  in  Kings,  although  the 


229 

antecedent  circumstances  are  stated  more  at  length  in 
Chronicles.  The  two  accounts  are  manifestly  inde- 
pendent of  each  other. The  author  of  Chronicles 

states  that  Solomon  spake  to  all  Israel — officers  of  every 
grade  and  people — to  go  with  him  to  Gibeon,  and  ex- 
plains the  reason  for  assembling  at  that  place,  viz., 
because  the  tabernacle  built  by  Sloses  was  still  there, 
although  the  ark  had  long  been  in  Jerusalem  in  a  tent 
specially  provided  for  it  by  David.  The  brazen  altar 
built  originally  in  the  wilderness  was  also  there. 
Thither  Solomon  and  all  the  congregation  resorted,  and 
there  he  offered  a  thousand  burnt-offerings.  On  the 
night  following  the  Lord  appeared  to  Solomon  in  a 
dream,  and  said — "  Ask  what  I  shall  give  thee."  From 
this  point  we  have  the  more  expanded  statements  in 
Kings.  The  answer  of  Solomon  expatiates  upon  God's 
great  mercies  to  his  father,  culminating  in  the  gift  of  a 
son  sitting  upon  his  own  throne  over  so  great  a  people ; 
expresses  his  deep  sense  of  personal  weakness — "  I  am 
but  a  little  child,  and  I  know  not  how  to  go  out  or 
come  in;"  and  then  makes  his  great  request;  "Give 
thy  servant,  therefore,  an  understanding  heart  to  judge 
thy  people  that  I  may  discern  between  good  and  bad; 

for  who  is  able  to  judge  this  thy  so  great  people  ?  "- 

It  pleased  the  Lord  that  Solomon  had  asked  this  thing, 
and  as  if  to  testify  at  once  to  this  pleasure  in  Solomon's 
choice,  and  to  his  glorious  munificence  in  giving  bless- 
ings to  the  humble  and  pure-minded,  he  said  :  "  Because 
thou  hast  asked  this  thing,  and  not  the  lower,  selfish 
good  of  long  life,  or  riches,  or  the  life  of  thine  enemies ; 
Behold,  I  have  done  according  to  thy  word,  and  have 
given  thee  wisdom,  never  surpassed  among  mortals,  and 
never  to  be  ;  and  I  have  also  given  thee  that  which 
thou  hast  not  asked — both  riches  and  honor.  On  one 
special  condition,  viz.,  "  If  thou  shalt  walk  in  my  ways 
and  keep  my  statutes  as  David  thy  father  did,  then  I 

will  lengthen  thy  days." The  historian  adds  :  "  Then 

Solomon  awoke,  and  behold  it  was  a  dream."  But, 
manifestly,  this  was  no  mere  fancy,  and  can  by  no  means 
be  classed  with  ordinary,  average  human  dreaming, 
under  the  normal  action  of  mind  in  sleep.  It  is  extra- 
ordinar}^  and  special,  like  the  vision  of  Jacob  at  Bethel 
— produced  by  most  impressive  manifestations  of  God's 
presence  to  the  human  soul,  awakening  its  powers  to 


230  Solomon's  dream  and  choice. 

their  highest  activity.  The  moral  power  of  the  will 
is  by  no  means  suspended,  but  rather  intensified. 
Solomon's  choice  was,  therefore,  most  entirely  moral 
and  responsible,  and  God  so  regarded  it.  This  case 
seems  to  be  closely  analogous  to  prophetic  vision  which 
is  frequently  spoken  of  as  a  "  dream,"  and  which  stood  in 
some  undefined  relation  to  sleep — a  relation  of  which 
we  can  get  no  absolute  knowledge  without  personal  ex- 
perience— perhaps  not  even  with  it. 

We  may  notice  that  while  the  promises  of  great 
wisdom  and  great  wealth  were  absolute  (without  condi- 
tions), the  promise  of  long  life  was  made  upon  conditions, 
viz.,  of  his  steadfastness  in  the  ways  of  his  father  David. 
In  this  point  Solomon  sadly  failed,  and  consequently 
failed  to  realize  the  long  life  conditionally  promised. 
He  is  supposed  to  have  ascended  the  throne  at  an  age 
not  exceeding  twenty.  Having  reigned  forty,  he  died 
at  the  age  of  sixty — not  by  any  means  an  old  man. 

The  moral  lessons  of  this  dream  at  Gibeon  are  richly 
suggestive  and  instructive.  It  suggests  that,  practi- 
cally, in  view  of  the  youthful  vigor  normally  accorded 
to  virtuous  young  men,  and  the  possibilities  that  lie 
within  the  grasp  of  earnest,  persevering  endeavor,  God 
says  to  every  young  man  as  he  said  to  Solomon — ^^Ask 
what  I  ahall  give  thee.^'  Make  choice  of  the  ends  you 
would  accomplish  in  life.  If  they  are  worthy  ends  my 
blessing  shall  be  upon  you.  According  to  your  faith 
it  shall  be  done.  Any  young  man  can  choose  as 
Solomon  did  to  "  serve  his  generation  according  to  the  will 
of  GocV — to  do  the  very  duties  which  God  in  providence 
lays  before  his  hand,  and  to  do  those  duties  in  the  best 
manner  possible  to  him  with  his  powers  and  oppor- 
tunities. This  virtuous  noble  purpose  is  one  of  the 
first  and  best  possibilities  of  every  young  man.  He  can 
be,  in  this  highest  sense,  good.  He  can  consecrate  to 
tlie  service  of  God  in  the  line  of  labor  for  human  well- 
being  whatever  powers  God  gives  him.  So  doing  he 
may  be  confident  of  two  things  :  (a.)  that  his  choice 
will  please  God;  (b.)  that  God  will  give  him  success — 
most  surely  of  all,  success  in  his  endeavors  to  please  God 
truly  and  serve  him  faithfully — than  which  no  other 
success  can  be  greater  or  better.  If  he  shall  not  become 
as  wise  or  as  wealthy  as  Solomon,  he  can,  at  least,  please 
God  as  iiyell — can  fill  his  measure  of  responsibility  as 


Solomon's  dream  and  choice.  231 

honestly  and  as  acceptably  to  God,  and  can  make  it 
most  sure  that  his  life  shall  not  be  a  failure. 

Again :  the  case  as  presented  here,  is  good  both  for 
proof  and  for  illustration  of  the  principle  that  when 
men  "covet  earnestly"  and  supremely  the  best  gifts, 
God  loves  not  only  to  give  these  best  things  thus  pref- 
erably and  supremely  sought,  but  to  throw  in  the 
lesser  things  as  unasked  gratuities— in  business  phrase 
— "into  the  bargain."  God  gave  Solomon  not  only 
the  wise  and  understanding  heart  to  rule  well — that 
which  he  specially  sought;  but  also  great  wisdom  in 
other  directions;  immense  riches,  moreover,  and  un- 
surpassed honors.  It  seems  to  have  been  very  easy  for 
the  Lord  to  throw  in  all  these  lesser  things,  and  make 
no  particular  account  of  them.  They  were  so  much 
extra — a  kind  of  bonus,  which  signifies  the  rich  mu- 
nificence of  the  Giver,  and  the  gushing  fullness  of  his 
heart  toward  that  unselfish  virtue  which  is  so  like 
God,  and  which  he  so  naturally  enjoys  when  he  sees 

in  his  creatures. Moreover,  this  case   suggests   the 

general  law  as  propounded  by  Jesus  in  his  great  ser- 
mon ;  "  Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his 
righteousness,  and  all  these  things" — food,  raiment, 
these  lower  blessings— "shall  be  added  unto  you." 
They  shall  be  thrown  in,  almost  without  your  asking. 
Give  your  full  heart  and  chief  endeavor  to  seeking 
the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteousness,  and  God  will 
see  to  the   filling  of   your   cup  with   earthly  good   as 

may  be  best  for  you  in  his  sight. Hence  we  may 

conclude  that  the  principle  on  which  God  blessed 
Solomon  was  not  exceptional  but  general.  Any  body 
can  have  blessings  from  God  on  the  same  principle — 
good  blessings — the  Lord  himself  being  judge  as  to 
what  is  really  good  for  any  one  of  us  personally  to 
have.  "Godliness  hath  the  promise  of  the  life  that 
now  is,"  and  in  no  trivial  sense. 

III.  Solomon''s  great  ivisdom  and  hnoiolcdge ;  his  literary 
works.  The  special  type  of  wisdom  wliich  Solomon 
asked— "an  understanding  heart  to  judge  thy  people, 
that  I  may  discern  between  good  and  bad  "  (1  Kings  3 : 
9);  "wisdom  and  knowledge  that  I  may  go  out  and 
come  in  before  this  people  "  (2  Chron.  1 :  10)— was  that 
sagacity,  that  intuitive  apprehension  of  character  and 
conduct,  coupled  with  an  unfailing  sense  of  equity  as 


232  Solomon's  wisdom  and  writings. 

between  man  and  man  which  he  needed  as  the  supreme 
judge  of  Israel.  His  thought  was  specially  upon  the 
civil  administration  of  law.  In  its  external  relations 
the  realm  was  at  peace  with  all  the  nations  of  the  earth. 
But  internally,  human  depravity  must  needs  be  cared 
for;  controversies  would  perpetually  arise;  here,  there- 
fore, this  profound  sagacity  of  the  discerning  unbiased 
judge  would  be  the  first  qualification  in  Israel's  king. 

Noticeably,  the  author  of  Kings  proceeds  at  once  to 

give  an  illustrative  case  in  proof  that  God  did  really 
endow  Solomon  with  unsurpassed  gifts  in  this  special 
direction.  The  story  is  told  with  beautiful  simplicity 
(1  Kings  3:  16-28).  Two  women  ("harlots"  they  are 
called),  living  in  the  same  house,  each  became  a  mother 
nearly  at  the  same  time.  One  of  them  overlaid  her  little 
son  by  night  and  caused  his  death,  and  then  slyly  placed 
the  dead  infant  in  the  bosom  of  her  sister  harlot  and  took 
thence  the  living  boy  for  hers.  In  the  morning  this 
second  mother  arose  to  nurse  her  child,  and  lo,  it  was 
dead !  But  what  mother  does  not  know  her  own  infant 
from  a  thousand?  She  saw  that  this  dead  infant  was 
not  her  own  dear  boy.  Now  there  is  a  fierce  dispute 
and  contention  for  the  living  babe — a  case  which  none 
of  the  lower  courts  availed  to  solve — so  it  came  before 

Solomon. His  decision  has  been  admired  in  all  ages 

as  a  perfect  model  of  human  sagacity.  Look  at  the  case. 
Here  was  the  conflicting  testimony  of  these  two  women, 
one  swearing  point  blank  against  the  other.  The  cir- 
cumstances ruled  out  the  possibility  of  any  extraneous 
testimony ;  they  were  the  only  Avitnesses.  It  would 
l)robably  have  been  impossible  to  go  further  back  with 
the  inquiry,  which  of  these  two  women  sustained  pre- 
viously the  best  reputation  for  truth  and  veracity.  In 
such  inquiries  the  acutest  judges  often  find  it  requires 
little  short  of  omniscience  to  sift  and  weigh  the  con- 
flicting testimony.  Solomon  attempted  no  such  thing. 
Bat  Solomon  looked  into  human  nature.  He  knew  the 
heart  of  a  real  mother.  So  he  said,  "  Bring  me  a  sword." 
Now  "divide  the  living  child  and  give  each  of  these 
claimants  one  half"  This  was  not  ordered  in  pettish 
mood,  as  if  he  were  fretted  and  disgusted  with  their  per- 
sistent demand  for  tlie  living  treasure.  No,  indeed ;  all 
he  wanted  was  to  see  whose  maternal  heart  would  quiver 
at  the  thought  of  that  sword  passing  through  the  body 


Solomon's  wisdom  and  writings.  233 

of  her  own  dear  babe.  This  was  the  revelation  which 
he  sought,  and  which  he  gained.  The  mother  of  the 
living  child  cried  out,  no,  no ;  give  her  the  living  child, 
and  by  no  means  slay  it.  Let  me  have  the  dead — but, 
Oh,  spare  the  living  one !  The  other  acquiesced,  alas, 
but  too  readily  in  the  king's  decision— the  heartless 
wretch !  Now  Solomon  understands  the  case  perfectly. 
His  verdict  comes :  That  mother  whose  bowels  yearn  over 
the  living  child  is  the  rightful  claimant ;  give  her  the 

living  child. We  may  hope  he  punished  the  false 

claimant  for  her  group  of  horrid  crimes — stealing  a 
living  babe  and  putting  her  dead  one  in  its  place;  per- 
sistent perjury,  and  horrible  inhumanity.  But  on  this 
point  the  record  is  silent.  His  decision  on  the  main 
question  made  a  profound  impression  as  it  went  forth 
over  all  Israel.  "  They  saw  that  the  wisdom  of  God  was 
in  him  to  do  judgment." 

According  to  God's  promise  the  wisdom  and  knowl- 
edge which  he  aided  Solomon  to  obtain  took  a  wide 
range  and  covered  far  other  ground  than  what  is  strictly 
and  technically  judicial  science.  As  the  author  of 
Kings  has  it  (1  Kings  4 :  29),  "  God  gave  Solomon  wis- 
dom and  understanding  exceeding  much,  and  largeness 
of  heart  even  as  the  sand  which  is  on  the  sea  shore." 
*'  Largeness  of  heart "  is  breadth  of  understanding — a  wide 
range  of  knowledge ;  treasures  of  science  and  wisdom, 
at  once  minute  and  comprehensive,  covering  many 
spacious  fields  of  human  thought.  The  specifications 
which  appear  in  the  record  lead  us  definitely  toward 

two  departments  of  human  knowledge  : (L)  Natural 

history,  of  both  animals  and  plants;  for  "he  spake  of 
trees,  from  the  cedar  tree  that  is  in  Lebanon  even  to 
the  hyssop  that  springeth  out  of  the  wall;  he  spake 
also  of  beast  and  of  fowl,  and  of  creeping  things  and  of 

fishes." And  (2.)  A  department  which  we  have  no 

precisely  equivalent  term  to  indicate,  but  which  may 
be  defined  as  human  knowledge  expressed  in  proverbs 
and  cultivated  in  the  framing  and  solving  of  "hard 
questions."  It  made  itself  at  home  in  the  science  of 
ethics,  but  was  free  to  go  abroad  quite  beyond  this  ter- 
ritory. Of  the  "three  thousand  j^roverbs"  which  Solo- 
mon spake  we  have  doubtless  a  specimen  in  the  book 
of  "Proverbs"  which  bears  his  name.  If  we  had  also 
some  of  those  "hard  questions"  which  the  Queen  of 
11 


234  Solomon's  wealth  and  royal  state. 

Sheba  brought  to  "prove  him  with"  (1  Kings  10:  1) 
and  which  j^rofane  history  refers  to  as  the  past-time  and 
wit-sharpener  of  Solomon  and  of  Hiram  of  Tyre  and 
his  savans,  we  might  better  comprehend  the  drift  of 
curious  inquisitive  thought  in  that  age.  It  was,  doubt- 
less, oriental,  but  whether  Samson's  riddles  or  the 
grander  questions  of  Job  and  his  three  friends,  or  the 
current  strain  of  the  book  of  Proverbs,  would  best  rep- 
resent it,  we  have  not  all  the  means  of  knoAving  that 
we  might  desire.  The  historian  states,  however,  very 
explicitly  that  Solomon  exceeded  all  the  kings  of  the 
earth  in  wisdom  as  well  as  in  riches,  and  that  all  the 
earth  sought  to  Solomon  to  hear  his  wisdom  which  God 
had  put  in  his  heart  (1  Kings  10;  23,  24);  and  yet 
more  specifically,  that  his  wisdom  exceeded  the  wisdom 
of  all  the  children  of  the  east  country  and  all  the  wis- 
dom of  Egypt,  for  he  was  wiser  than  all  men — than 
Ethan,  Heman,  etc. — names  which  appear  among  the 
authors  of  the  Psalms  and  the  leaders  in  the  music  of  the 

sanctuary. Solomon  cultivated  poetry  also,  for  "  his 

songs  were  one  thousand  and  live  " — of  which  one  only 
remains  to  our  time,  and  that  the  superlative  one — 
"  the  song  of  songs."  Of  this  we  need  only  say  here 
that  considered  simply  as  poetry,  it  combines  warmth 
and  purity  of  social  affection  with  an  exquisite  sense 
of  beauty  in  nature,  in  a  degree  rarely  if  ever  sur- 
passed.  Of  his  literary  works  nothing  remains  to  us 

save  his  three  well-known  books :  Proverbs,  Ecclesias- 
tes,  and  the  Song;  and  two  Psalms  ascribed  to  him, 
viz.,  72  and  127. 

IV.  The  great  wealth  and  royal  state  of  Solomon  are 
the  leading  themes  of  two  chapters,  viz.,  1  Kings  4  and 
10.  We  shall  pass  this  point  with  only  a  brief  notice. 
The  method  and  order  in  matters  political,  intro- 
duced and  perfected  under  David,  continued  under  Solo- 
mon. The  spirit  of  this  system  was  carried  by  Solomon 
into  his  domestic  establishment,  the  magnificence  of 
which  was  very  far  beyond  any  thing  before  known  in 
Israel.     It  was  the  special  admiration  of  the  Queen  of 

Sheba  (1  Kings  10:  4,  5). Of  his  splendid  buildings 

what  shall  we  say  ?  In  addition  to  the  glorious  temple, 
a  palace  for  himself;  another  for  Pharaoh's  daughter — 
the  first  wife  of  Solomon  brought  to  our  notice  (1  Kings 
3 :  1)  ;  "  the  house  of  the  forest  of  Lebanon  "  (1  Kings  7 : 


THE  BUILDING  AND  CONSECRATION  OF  THE  TEMPLE.   235 

2,  and  2  Chron.  9 :  16)  ;  various  cities  in  his  own  country; 
the  great  and  long  famous  Tadmor  in  the  wilderness; 
navies  and  ports  for  the  commerce  of  the  Mediterranean 
Sea  and  of  the  Indian  Ocean — where  was  the  limit  of 
his  magnificent  works  in  this  line? 

V.  The  building  of  the  temple  and  its  consecration  demand 
somewhat  special  notice. 

Of  its  plan  nothing  more  need  be  said  than  that  it 
followed  the  model  of  the  tabernacle  built  by  Moses  in 
the  wilderness.  Having  the  same  objects  in  view,  con- 
structed to  subserve  the  same  system  of  worship, — its 
compartments  on  the  ground  floor  were  identically  the 
same.  Every  thing  was  on  a  larger  yet  corresponding 
scale ;  the  same  altars ;  the  same  courts ;  the  same  holy 
place,  and  the  same  holy  of  holies,  enshrouded  in  the 
thick  darkness. 

As  to  dimensions  the  record  is — sixty  cubits  in  length 
by  twenty  in  breadth  ;  proximately  90  feet  by  30 — double 
the  corresponding  dimensions  of  the  tabernacle.  But 
within  these  relatively  small  dimensions,  what  an 
amount  of  magnificence  and  splendor  were  compressed ! 
The  most  superb  textile  fabrics ;  the  most  exquisite 
carved  work,  and  the  immense  amount  of  surface  over- 
laid with  gold,  placed  this  structure  in  point  of  cost, 
beauty,  and  magnificence,  greatly  in  advance  of  any 
structure  known  in  ancient  times.  It  was  seven  years 
in  building.  The  skilled  laborers  were  largely  Pheni- 
cian,  supplied  by  Hiram  king  of  Tyre.  The  unskilled 
men  for  the  immense  labor  of  transportation  were 
mainly  from  the  subject  races  of  foreign  birth  living 
among  the  Israelites.  1  Kings  5  gives  ample  details 
as  to  the  levies  of  men,  their  duties,  the  associated 
labors  of  T)' rians  and  Hebrews ;  the  materials  of  cedar, 
fir,  and  stone,  obtained  in  Phenicia  but  transported  by 
water  to  Joppa  and  thence  overland  to  Jerusalem. 
Every  stone  being  cut  in  its  quarry,  all  materials  of 
wood  being  prepared  (framed  and  dressed)  before  being 
shipped  from  Tyre,  two  valuable  results  were  obtained ; 
there  was  no  waste  of  power  in  transportation ;  and  in 
the  holy  city  the  great  temple  rose  solemnly,  in  com- 
paratively quiet  stillness — from  those  immense  founda- 
tion stones  now  being  laid  bare,  to  the  top-stone,  laid  at 
last  "  with  shoutings  of  grace,  grace  unto  it." 

The  antecedent  correspondence  between  Solomon  and 


236    THE  BUILDING  AND  CONSECRATION  OF  THE  TEMPLE. 

Hiram  of  Tyre  (given  more  in  brief  1  Kings  5  ;  but  more 
in  full,  2  Chron.  2),  sets  forth  with  delightful  recogni- 
tion of  the  true  God,  the  plans  of  Solomon  and  his  pro- 
positions to  the  king  of  Tyre ;  the  occasion  for  a  temple ; 
the  uses  it  should  subserve;  and  his  reasons  for  making 
it  supremely  magnificent.  "The  house  which  I  build 
is  great,  for  great  is  our  God  above  all  gods.  But  who 
is  able  to  build  him  an  house,  seeing  the  heavens  and 
the  heaven  of  heavens  can  not  contain  him?  Who  am 
I  that  I  should  build  him  an  house,  save  only  to  burn 

sacrifice  before  him?"     (2  Chron.  2:  5,  6) Hiram's 

answer  has  some  remarkable  words  for  an  idol-worship- 
ing king.  This  is  said  to  have  been  sent  in  writing  : — 
"  Because  the  Lord  [Jehovah]  hath  loved  his  people,  he 
hath  made  thee  king  over  them.  Blessed  be  the  Lord 
God  of  Israel,  who  made  heaven  and  earth,  who  hath 
given  unto  David  the  king  a  wise  son,  endued  with 
prudence  and  understanding,  wdio  might  build  an  house 

for  the  Lord  and  an  house  for  his  kingdom." Was 

this  the  complaisance  of  shrewd  diplomacy,  or  the  utter- 
ance of  honest  convictions  ?  If  the  latter,  why  did  not 
king  Hiram  cast  his  idol  gods  to  the  moles  and  to  the 
bats,  and  give  his  own  heart's  honest  worship  to  "the 
God  who  made  heaven  and  earth  ?  " 

But  a  far  more  profound  religious  interest  gathers 
about  the  scenes  of  the  dedication  of  this  temple.  Both 
our  authors  (/.  e.,  of  Kings  and  of  Chronicles)  give  the 
details  of  this  service,  and  with  little  variation  and  in 
very  considerable  fullness,  narrating  the  sacrifices  that 
preceded  and  that  followed;  the  introductory  address  of 
Solomon  to  the  assembled  people  (1  Kings  8:  12-21), 
and  then  the  consecrating  prayer  (vs.  22-53),  and  the 
closing  benediction  upon  the  people  (vs.  54-61).  The 
service  must  have  been  in  the  highest  degree  impres- 
sive and  sublime.  Every  word  seems  to  be  perfect  in 
adaptation  to  the  great  purpose  and  the  grand  occasion. 
We  can  scarcely  forbear  to  ask  (mentally) — Were  these 
words  altogether  original  with  Solomon,  or  was  the 
hand  of  Nathan  or  of  Zadok,  or  of  some  other  leading 
religious  spirit,  in  them?  The  question  is  of  value 
mainly  as  bearing  somewhat  upon  our  estimate  of 
Solomon.  But  we  are  left  with  no  hint  of  other  hand 
in  the  responsibilities  of  this  service  save  his  own. 
Accounting  it  as  his  we  have  here  a  very  gratifying  testi- 


THE  BUILDING  AND  CONSECRATION  OF  THE  TEMPLE.  237 

mony  that  he  -well  conceived  the  relation  sustained  by 
the  Hebrew  people  toward  the  God  of  their  covenant, 
and  that  he  had  ideas  at  once  just  and  grand  of  the  pur- 
pose of  this  temple  as  a  house  of  prayer — a  place  hon- 
ored of  God  with  the  symbol  of  his  presence,  toward 
which  his  worshipers  were  to  turn  in  their  ofierings  of 
prayer  and  of  praise  to  the  glorious  God  whose  throne 
filled  the  highest  heavens,  yet  who  had  deigned  to  man- 
ifest his  presence  among  his  worshiping  people  in  this 
earthly  temple. 

The  tone  of  this  consecration  contemplates  this  tem- 
ple as  designed  for  national  and  public  worship — for  the 
prayers  of  the  whole  people  rather  than  for  indi- 
viduals. 

Among  the  special  points  of  this  consecrating  prayer 
were — its  prominent  recognition  of  David  and  of  God's 
promise  to  him ;  and  its  numerous  specifications  of  the 
peculiar  circumstances  under  which,  supposably,  the 
Lord's  people  in  their  various  need  might  address  their 
supplications  to  God  as  in  symbol  dwelling  in  this  tem- 
ple to  hear  their  prayers.  The  sublime  grandeur  of  the 
thought  that  the  Great  God  should  condescend  so  low 
is  put  impressively:  "But  will  God  in  very  deed  dwell 
with  men  on  the  earth  ?  Behold,  the  heaven  and  the 
heaven  of  heavens  can  not  contain  thee ;  how  much 
less  this  house  that  I  have  built?" So  also  the  cul- 
mination of  the  prayer  by  invoking  the  entrance  of 
Jehovah  with  the  ark  of  his  strength  :  "  Now,  there- 
fore, arise,  O  Lord,  into  thy  resting-place,  thou,  and  the 
ark  of  thy  strength  ;  let  thy  priests,  O  Lord  God,  be 
clothed  with  salvation  and  let  thy  saints  rejoice  in 
goodness.  0  Lord  God,  turn  not  away  the  face  of  thine 
anointed;  remember  the  mercies  of  David  thy  servant'^ 
[mercies  promised  to  David]. Then  the  visible  an- 
swer to  this  wonderful  prayer :  "  Fire  came  down  from 
heaven  and  consumed  the  burnt-offering  and  the  sacri- 
fice;  and  the  dory  of  the  Lord"  [that  visible  halo  and 
eff"ulgence  of  tightness]  "filled  the  house."  ^  "All 
Israel  saw  this,  and  bowing  themselves  with  their  faces 
to  the  ground  upon  the  pavement,  worshiped  and 
praised  the  Lord,  saying — For  he  is  good;  for  his  mercy 
endureth  forever." 

The  correlation  between  the  material  and  the  moral 
grandeur  of  this  closing  scene  is  put  with  equal  beauty 


238  THE  SECOND  DREAM  AT  GIBEON. 

and  force  by  Dean  Milman  (History  of  the  Jews  I :  p. 
318) :  "  As  the  king  concluded,  the  cloud  which  had 
rested  over  the  holy  of  holies  grew  brighter  and  more 
dazzling ;  fire  broke  out  and  consumed  all  the  sacrifices 
(2  Chron.  7 :  1) ;  the  priests  stood  without,  awestruck 
by  the  insupportable  splendor;  the  wdiole  people  fell 
on  their  faces,  and  -worshiped  and  praised  the  Lord, 
'/o?*  he  is  good,  for  his  mercy  is  forever.^  Which  was  the 
greater,  the  external  magnificence  or  the  moral  sub- 
limity of  this  scene?  Was  it  the  temple,  situated  on 
its  commanding  eminence,  with  all  its  courts,  the  daz- 
zling splendor  of  its  materials,  the  innumerable  multi- 
tudes, the  priests  in  their  gorgeous  attire,  the  king  with 
all  the  insignia  of  ro3^alty  on  his  throne  of  burnished 
brass,  the  music,  the  radiant  cloud  filling  the  temple, 
the  sudden  fire  flashing  upon  the  altar,  the  whole 
nation  upon  their  knees?  Was  it  not  rather  the  relig- 
ious grandeur  of  the  hymns  and  of  the  prayer;  the 
exalted  and  rational  views  of  the  divine  nature ;  the 
union  of  a  whole  people  in  the  adoration  of  the  one 
Great,  Incomprehensible,  Almight}^,  Everlasting  Cre- 
ator ?  " 

VI.  Tlie  dream  of  Glbeon  repeated :  the  Lord  a^ipearing 
to  Solomon  the  second  time.  Both  our  histories  narrate 
this  second  appearance  (1  Kings  9 :  2-9,  and  2  Chron. 
7:  12-22) — the  autlior  of  Chronicles  most  fully,  but 
only  the  author  of  Kings  compares  it  specially  with 
the  dream  at  Gibeon.  It  followed  the  dedication  of 
the  temple,  and  was  manifestly  designed  to  deepen 
moral  impressions,  and  perhaps  to  warn  specially 
against  spiritual  dangers  already  foreshadowed.  In 
substance  the  Lord  said — I  have  heard  thy  prayer  in 
tlie  dedication  of  this  temple,  and  have  accepted  it. 
If  now  thou  wilt  walk  before  me  with  perfect  heart 
as  thy  father  David  did,  the  throne  of  thy  kingdom 
over  Israel  shall  be  established  forever:  but  if  thou 
turn  aside  after  other  gods,  then  will  I  cut  off  Israel 
from  this  glorious  land  of  promise,  and  this  conse- 
crated temi:»le  shall  be  no  protection  against  retribu- 
tive judgments,  for  its  ruin  shall  be  as  signal  as  its 

magnificence  is  now  glorious. Oh,  had  these  words 

of  warning  been  duly  remembered  and  diligentl}^ 
regarded ! 


Solomon's  foreign  relations,  239 

VII.  Solomon'' s  foreign  relations — political^  commercial, 
social,  and  domestic.  In  the  outset  it  may  be  assumed 
that  in  a  civilized  world,  international  commerce 
implies  the  existence  of  pacific  political  relations, 
defined  by  treaties  expressed  or  implied.  Trade  is 
peaceful  by  nature.  Applying  this  law  of  civilized 
national  life  we  may  notice  that  the  history  speaks 
more  distinctly  and  fully  of  Solomon's  commercial 
than  of  his  political  relationships.  But  where  there 
was  national  commerce,  we  may  assume  national 
peace  on  some  well  understood  basis. 

With  Egypt  Solomon  established  the  closest  rela- 
tions possible  at  a  very  early  period  in  his  reign. 
"He  made  affinity  with  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt  and 
took  Pharaoh's  daughter"  in  marriage  (I  Kings  3:  1). 
This  domestic  union  implied  peaceful  relations  between 
these  two  kingdoms,  and  opened  the  way  for  the  un- 
restricted commerce  of  which  we  read  subsequently 
(1  Kings  10:  28,  29),  in  which  Solomon  imported  from 
Egypt  "horses,  chariots,  and  linen  yarn,"  not  merely 
for  home  consumption,  but  for  export  and  sale  to 
supply  "all  the  kings  of  the  Hittites  and  for  the  kings 

of  Syria." To   his  relations  with    Tyre   the  whole 

record  testifies.  These  relations  were  of  course  neces- 
sarily political;  they  were  definitely  and  intensely 
commercial — bread-stuffs  in  exchange  for  building 
materials  and  skilled  labor ;  besides  the  co-operative 
trade  which  Solomon  and  Hiram  carried  on  jointly 
through  their  commercial  navies  and  seafaring  men 
across  the  great  Mediterranean  with  North-western 
Africa  and  South-western  Europe — in  Hebrew  phrase, 
"  with  Tarshish  "  and  "  ships  of  Tarshish."  The  imports 
of  this   trade  were  gold  and  silver,  ivory,  apes,   and 

peacocks  "  (1  Kings  10 :  22,  and  2  Chron.  9 :  21). 

Moreover,  having  built  Ezion-Geber  on  the  eastern 
arm  of  the  Ked  Sea  for  their  port,  they  drove  a  very 
considerable  trade  with  the  southern  coast  region  of 
Arabia  and  probably  with  India  and  Africa.  The 
precise  location  of  Ophir — the  land  of  gold — is  still 
an  unsettled  question,  opinions  being  divided  between 
Arabia  and  India,  with  much  to  be  said  for  either 
theory.  The  products  of  this  traffic  were  gold  (princi- 
pally), yet  also  "almug  (or  algum)  trees  and  precious 
stones"  (2  Chron.  9:  10,  and  1  Kings  10:  11). With 


240  Solomon's  foreign  relations. 

the  Queen  of  Sheba  and  her  kingdom,  located,  as  is 
supposed,  in  South-west  Arabia,  Solomon  opened  a 
regular  traffic ;  and  not  with  her  kingdom  only  among 
the  numerous  principalities  of  great  Arabia,  but  "with 
all  those  kings."  To  the  statements  made  1  Kings  10 : 
14,  15  as  to  the  annual  receipts  of  Solomon  in  gold, 
put  at  66(y  talents,  it  is  added:  "Besides  what  he  had 
of  the  merchant  men  and  of  the  traffic  of  the  spice 
merchants,  and  of  all  the  kings  of  Arabia,  and  of  the 
governors  of  the  country." 

Solomon  pushed  his  overland  commerce  in  still  an- 
other direction,  viz.,  toward  the  Euphrates — that  land 
of  immense  wealth  and  resources.  To  facilitate  this 
traffic,  he  built  Tadmor  in  the  wilderness,  otherwise 
called  Palmyra,  both  names  signifying  the  palm-land 
(2  Chron.  8 :  4).  This  great  cit}^  was  practically  a  half- 
way house  between  Damascus  and  the  Euphrates,  about 
120  miles  from  each.  Much  of  the  country  to  be  trav- 
ersed on  this  route  was  a  desert.  The  magnificent 
ruins  of  this  once  splendid  city  are  among  the  wonders 
of  the  Eastern  world. 

This  geographical  survey  of  Solomon's  commercial 
relations  will  suffice  to  show  that  in  his  age  the  land  of 
Israel  was  central  to  the  commerce  of  the  civilized  world, 
and  that  under  his  influence  his  kingdom,  in  conjunc- 
tion with  Tyre,  became  an  immense  emporium  for  the 
traffic  of  all  civilized  countries.  This  traffic  brought 
into  Israel,  or  at  least,  it  brought  to  the  king  of  Israel, 
great  wealth  ;  but  it  brought  also  great  perils — great 
temptations,  and,  apparently,  great  decline  in  her  relig- 
ious life. The  danger  to  Solomon   was  immensely 

greater  from  the  fact  that,  according  to  the  usages  of  his 
age,  these  intimate  political  and  commercial  relation- 
ships carried  with  them  social  and  domestic  relations 
also.  Beginning  with  Egypt,  Solomon  made  affinity 
with  Pharaoh,  and  took  his  daughter  to  wife.  Polyg- 
amy among  the  oriental  kings  of  that  age  being  the 
rule,  not  the  exception,  Solomon  took  other  wives — as 
the  sad  record  in  1  Kings  11:  1-8  puts  it:  "King 
Si)lomon  loved  many  strange  [foreign]  women  besides 
the  daughter  of  Pharaoh — women  of  tlie  Moabites, 
Ammonites,  Edomitos,  Zidonians,  and  Hittites."  The 
numbers  given  are  startling — not  to  say  almost  incredi- 
ble; "seven  hundred  wives,  princesses,  and  three  hun- 


Solomon's  apostasy  from  god.  241 

dred  concubines."  These  numbers  may,  perhaps,  be 
erroneously  large;  but  the  real  number  was  doubtless 
great.  The  usages  of  kings  wrought  powerfully  in  this 
direction;  political  and  business  interests  favored,  and, 
perhaps  we  might  say,  seemed  to  demand  continual  en- 
largement of  the  royal  harem. 

VIII.  Solomon''s  apostasy  from  God ;  its  antecedents  and 
occasions.  The  history  ascribes  this  apostasy  to  his  un- 
godly, idolatrous  wives.  "  He  clave  to  them  in  love," 
and   by   natural  consequence  "they  turned  away  his 

heart"  from  God, They  did  not  come  over  to  his 

religion  and  to  the  sincere  worship  of  his  God;  but 
they  brought  their  own  religion,  their  own  idol  gods, 
with  themselves  into  Israel.  Gradually  (we  may  pre- 
sume), little  by  little,  they  drew  him  into  their  own 
practices  of  worship.  It  was  when  he  was  old,  says  the 
historian,  when  the  ardor  of  his  youthful  devotion  had 
sadly  waned;  when  wealth  and  luxury  had  induced 
effeminacy,  and  after  unbounded  admiration  and  high 
position  had  stealthily  undermined  his  piety — it  was 
upon  a  heart  long  exposed  to  these  subtle  influences 
that  the  social  power  of  so  many  wives — princesses  of 
leading  influence,  of  high  culture,  and  commanding 
social  position — was  brought  to  bear  upon  him  to  his 
sad  fall.  Many  of  them — w^e  know  not  definitely  how 
many — came  with  the  prestige  of  royalty,  represent- 
ing the  dignity  of  courts  and  kingdoms.  Shall  not  the 
king  of  Israel  receive  them  with  all  the  honors  due  to 
the  kingdoms  and  thrones  which  they  represent  ? 
Shall  he  not  respect  the  religions  they  severally  pro- 
fess? Politeness,  complaisance,  the  demands  of  civil- 
ized society,  the  interests  of  international  peace  and 
commerce — all  concur  in  demanding  unrestricted  tolera- 
tion of  their  idolatrous  worship.  [So  it  would  seem;  so, 
but  for  the  higher  claims  of  God,  and  of  truth,  and  of 

his  holy  covenant,   it   would   be]. When    to  these 

demands  of  worldly  sort  we  add  the  fact  that  Solomon 
clave  to  these  wives  and  concubines  in  love — that  his 
sensitive  nature  yielded  to  such  powerful  attractions — 
we  have  no  need  to  go  further  to  seek  the  occasion  of 
Solomon's  relapse  into  great  sin.  He  became  an  idolater. 
"  His  wives  turned  away  his  heart  after  other  gods ;  " 
"his  heart  was  no  longer  perfect  with  the  Lord  his  God 
as  the  heart  of  David  his  father."     Specifically  it  is 


242 

stated  that  Solomon  went  after  Ashtoreth,  the  goddess 
of  the  Zidonians,  and  after  Milcom,  the  abomination 
of  the  Ammonites.  He  also  built  high  places  and  fur- 
nished every  facility  for  the  worship  of  these  gods — the 

abominations  of  Moab  and  Ammon. The  author  of 

Kings,  who  alone  gives  us  these  sad  facts,  is  careful  to 
remind  us  that  these  marriages  with  foreign  idolaters 
were  strictly  forbidden  by  the  divine  law.  Solomon 
must  have  known  that  the  God  of  Israel  forbade  his 
taking  many  wives — forbade  his  taking  even  one  who 
was  an  idolater — a  "  strange,"  i.  e.,  a  foreign  woman,  still 
adhering  to  her  national  idolatry.  It  was  a  fearful 
stride  in  the  downward  road  when  Solomon  broke  over 
the  safeguards  of  this  prohibition,  and  took  his  first 
heathen  wife.  What  could  save  him  when  he  lost 
respect  for  this  law  of  God,  and  pushed  on  accumulating 
foreign  idolatrous  wives,  perhaps,  by  hundreds?  It 
was,  indeed,  a  sad  and  terrible  fall ! 

IX.  His  repentance;  the  evidence  in  the  case.  On  the 
question  of  Solomon's  repentance  we  have  to  deal  with 
probabilities,  not  with  absolute  certainties.  The  Scrip- 
tures neither  explicitly  affirm  nor  deny.  Arguments 
are  sometimes  built  upon  the  silence  of  Scripture ;  but 
manifestly  such  arguing  should  proceed  very  cautiousl3\ 
The  author  of  Chronicles  is  silent  as  to  Solomon's 
apostasy;  but  it  would  not  be  safe  to  infer  from  his 
silence,  either  that  Solomon  never  did  apostatize,  or 
that  this  author  could  not  have  known  it. 

The  author  of  Kings  who  has  spoken  with  sufficient 
plainness  of  his  apostas}'-  has  said  nothing  as  to  his  re- 
pentance; yet  let  no  one  infer  from  this  silence  that 
Solomon  never  repented.  The  Lord  may  have  had 
reasons  for  leaving  this  fact  with  no  explicit  affirma- 
tion— perhaps  to  make  the  moral  warning  from  his  fall 
the  more  impressive. 

My  reasons  for  the  hope  and  for  a  certain  amount  of 
belief  that  Solomon  roj^ented  of  his  great  sin  before  he 

died,  come  from  these  two  considerations: (1.)  The 

tenor  of  God's  promise  to  David  in  respect  to  this  very 
point,  as  it  appears  in  2  Sam.  7:  12-16.  Bej^ond  all 
doubt  this  passage  has  special  reference  to  Solomon  : 
"  When  thou  shalt  sleep  with  thy  fjithers,  I  will  set  up 
thy  seed  after  thee  who  shall  proceed  out  of  thy  bowels  " 
(applicable  specially  to  Solomon);  ''he  shall  build  an 


Solomon's  repentance  :  the  evidence.        243 

house  for  my  name  "  (Solomon  only) ;  "  If  he  commit 
iniquity  "  (which  he  did)  "  I  will  chasten  him  with  the 
rod  of  men  "  (it  was  Solomon  who  wrote — "  Whom  the 
Lord  loveth  he  correcteth,  even  as  a  father  the  son  in 
whom  he  delighteth"  Prov.  3 :  12) :  "  But  my  mercy 
shall  not  depart  away  from  him  as  I  took  it  from  Saul 
whom  I  put  away  from  before  thee."  Saul  was  aban- 
doned of  God  and  never  brought  to  repentance.  God 
''  took  his  mercy  away  from  him  "  in  that  awful  sense 
of  giving  him  over  to  his  righteous  doom.  But  the 
Lord  distinctly  declares  that  he  will  not  in  this  special 
sense  take  his  mercy  away  from  Solomon.  Upon  Solomon 
he  will  still  hold  fast  and  restore  him  to  repentance — to 

his  ultimate  salvation. 1  do  not  see  how  the  contrast 

between  Saul  and  Solomon,  indicated  in  this  promise, 
can  mean  less  than  a  pledge  on  the  part  of  God  to  bring 
Solomon  to  repentance  after  his  committing  iniquity. 
(2.)  IMy  second  argument  comes  from  the  book  of  Ec- 
clesiastes.  This  book  bears  ample  evidence  of  having 
been  written  by  Solomon — late  in  his  life.  He  is  no 
longer  a  young  man.  He  has  lived  long  enough  to  have 
given  all  forms  of  worldly  pleasure  a  full  trial  and  to 
have  proved  their  utter  vanity.  He  has  thought  over 
his  guilty  life  of  pleasure-loving  and  pleasure-seeking 
until  he  not  only  sees  its  folly  but  feels  it.  He  sees  that 
such  a  life  is  inconsistent  with  fearing  God  and  keeping 
his  commandments ;  and  he  most  unequivocally  declares 
that  such  fear  of  God  and  such  obedience  are  the  supreme 

duty  of  mortals. These  points  in  this  book  of  Ecclesi- 

astes  afford  strong  proof  of  his  real  repentance — much 
the  more  strong  when  seen  in  the  light  of  the  special 
design  of  this  book,  viz.,  written  for  those  who  had  ad- 
mired his  pleasure-loving  life,  and  intended  as  his  pro- 
test and  warning  against  the  very  life  he  had  lived 
before  them  which  they  had  so  much  admired.  [For  a 
more  full  presentation  of  the  design  and  scope  of  this 

book  of  Ecclesiastes,  see  my  Introduction  to  it.] The 

book  should  be  taken  as  Solomon's  testimony  to  the 
grand  mistake  of  his  life  and  as  the  warning  of  a  peni- 
tent man  against  what  he  then  saw  to  have  been  his 

great  life-sin. That  the  argument  of  Ecclesiastes  is 

made  against  worldlincss,  and  not  specifically  against 
idolatry,  may  be  due  to  one  or  both  of  these  reasons : — 
(a)  That  his  philosophical  mind  deemed  it  better  to 


244         RELIGIOUS  INFLUENCE    OF  SOLOMON's   REIGN. 

strike  at  the  root-sin  than  at  its  branches,  his  t)wn  ex- 
perience having  shown  him  that  apostasy  began  with 
the  love  of  the  w^orId;or  (b)  That  inasmuch  as  those 
foreigners  for  whom  especially  he  wrote  this  book  were 
born  into  idolatry  and  begirt  on  every  side  with  its  sur- 
roundings, he  had  most  hope  of  doing  them  good  by 
approaching  them  in  the  line  of  the  great  principle  or 
law  of  man's  relations  as  a  sentient  and  moral  being  to 
God  his  Maker  and  Father.  If  they  could  be  made  to 
see  and  feel  that  the  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning 
of  all  wisdom  and  that  man's  passion  for  pleasure  should 
be  subordinated  to  the  demands  of  his  higher  moral 
nature  and  to  the  known  will  of  God,  the  question  of 
worshiping  idols  would  subsequently  dispose  of  itself. 
Hence,  I  infer  that  the  silence  of  Ecclesiastes  on  the 
subject  of  idol-worship  can  not  be  held  to  disprove  his 
real  repentance  of  his  own  idolatry.  The  drift  of  this 
book  does  signify  that  in  his  view  his  own  fearful 
apostasy  began  in  his  supreme  devotion  to  worldly 
pleasure. 

X.  The  influence  of  this  reign  upon  the  moral  and  religious 
state  of  Israel.  Neither  of  the  authors  of  our  two  his- 
tories (Kings ;  Chronicles)  has  made  it  a  special  point 
to  answer  this  question.  Consequently,  we  are  left  to 
inferences  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  and  from  such 
facts  as  they  narrate,  bearing  incidentall}^  upon  it. 

It  scarcely  need  be  said,  that,  the  human  mind  being 
what  it  is,  royalty  is  always  a  great  power.  The  mani- 
fest spirit  and  known  life  of  kings  have  weight  with 
their  people.  The  force  of  this  common  law  of  mind 
is  in  the  present  case  augmented  by  the  fact  that  in  the 
previous  reign,  religion  in  Israel  had  been  greatly 
revived  under  the  influence  of  David.  During  most  of 
his  reign  he  had  powerfully  sustained  the  worship  of 
the  sanctuary,  giving  it  the  full  weight  of  his  personal 
attendance,  and,  yet  more,  the  power  of  his  warm, 
earnest  soul,  and,  more  yet,  the  words  of  his  own  poetic 
genius,  and  the  attractions  of  his  own  music.  All 
these  elements  of  influence  were  then  combined  with 
his  royal  example  to  tone  up  the  religious  life  of  the 
nation.  The  people  had  been  under  training,  therefore, 
in  the  line  of  being   influenced   by  the    king  toward 

vital  godliness. To  this  we  may  add  that  the  first 

years  of  Solomon  led  off  in  the  same  direction.     Appar- 


RELIGIOUS   INFLUENCE   OF   SOLOMON's   REIGN.        245 

cntly,  during  all  the  time  of  the  temple-building  until 
its  solemn  dedication,  the  royal  influence  of  Solomon 
was  conducive  to  the  sound  religious  life  of  his  people. 
All  the  more  fearful,  therefore,  must  the  revulsion  have 
been  when  they  saw  their  king  trampling  under  foot 
the  great  law  of  God  by  which  he  held  his  throne — 
multiplying  wives  to  himself;  taking  them  from  the 
idolatrous  nations  on  every  side;  building  idol  temples 
and  altars  for  those  wives,  and,  at  last,  himself  joining 
with  them  in  their  abominable  idol-worship.  We  are 
not  told  whether  he  forsook  his  own  temple,  and  the 
worship  of  the  God  of  his  own  covenant ;  and,  in  fact, 
it  is  of  the  least  possible  account,  whether  he  did  or  did 
not.  If  he  did  not  in  form,  he  certainly  did  in  spirit,  for 
none  can  serve  both  God  and  Mammon— both  Jehovah 
and  idol  gods.  If  he  attempted  it,  his  example  could 
scarcely  be  less  pernicious  than  if  he  had  utterly 
deserted  his  magnificent  temple.  In  either  case  his 
moral  power  must  have  gone  solid  against  real  religion 
— against  the  true  worship  of  the  holy  God.  The  con- 
trast between  Solomon  on  his  knees  before  all  the  as- 
sembled thousands  of  Israel  in  his  prayer  consecrating 
the  new  temple,  and  this  same  Solomon,  going  with  his 
scores  or  hundreds  of  heathen  wives  to  worship  their 
gods  on  the  high  places  of  the  land,  must  have  been 
terribly  impressive — to  all  pious  hearts  sad,  not  to  say 
revolting ;  but  to  the  masses,  we  have  reason  to  fear, 
seductive  toward  the  same  idol  worship.  So  much  we 
must  infer  from  the  well  known  laws  of  the  human 
mind,  and  from  the  relations  of  the  throne  to  the  people 
under  the  religious  system  of  Israel. 

In  addition  to  this  inferential  testimony,  we  have 
the  evidence  of  historic  fact ;  as,  for  example — that 
when  Jeroboam  raised  the  standard  of  revolt  and  drew 
around  himself  ten  out  of  the  twelve  tribes,  and  set 
up  golden  calves  in  Bethel  and  in  Dan  for  the  people 
to  worship,  there  was  not  apparently  one  note  of  re- 
monstrance from  the  people;  not  a  word  of  protest 
appears  upon  the  pages  of  their  history  from  any  pious 
worshiper  in  those  ten  tribes  against  their  national 
apostasy.  Alas,  how  fallen  already  from  the  spirit  of 
the  reign  of  David  and  from  the  institutions  of  Moses! 
What  a  change  apparently  since  the  dedication  of 
Solomon's  temple!     Either  the   apparent  worship   of 


246        RELIGIOUS  INFLUENCE   OF   SOLOMON's   REIGN. 

the  thousands  of  rulers  and  people  on  that  august 
occasion  was  utterly  shallow  and  superficial,  or  the 
new  generation  which  the  lapse  of  only  twenty-nine 
years  has  brought  upon  the  stage  has  degenerated 
wofully.  [Solomon  reigned  forty  years,  and  the  tem- 
ple was  begun  in  his  fourth  year  and  finished  in  his 
eleventh.] 

The  question  of  the  influence  of  Solomon's  reign 
upon  Israel  should  take  a  wider  range  than  merely 
the  attendance  upon  the  temple  worship,  or  even  the 
spirit  of  that  worship.  The  court,  the  family  resi- 
dence, and  the  entire  surroundings  of  Solomon  rose 
almost  at  one  bound  from  the  severe  but  noble  sim- 
plicity of  the  reign  of  David  to  the  highest  style  of 
luxury  and  splendor  known  to  the  most  cultivated 
and  wealthy  nations  of  the  age.  Nay  more;  for  Sol- 
omon had  the  honor  before  the  sovereigns  of  Tyre, 
Egypt,  and  Sheba,  of  having  surpassed  them  all  in 
taste  and  splendor,  inventing  and  perfecting  new 
appliances  for  all  earthly  delights.  The  barriers  set 
up  in  the  Mosaic  law  against  conformity  to  outside 
luxury  and  pomp  were  suddenly  swept  away ;  no 
court  on  the  face  of  the  eartli  surpassed  or  even 
equaled  Solomon's  in  its  magnificence.     He  led;  they 

only  followed. What  was  the  influence  of  all  this 

upon  the  masses  of  the  people  ?  Was  there  not  a 
quickening  passion  for  horses  and  chariots;  for  palaces 
and  equij^age ;  for  luxuries  of  the  table,  and  for  orna- 
mentation in  dress?  If  not,  there  must  have  been  a 
marvelous    virtue    among    the   masses,    or    a    strange 

suspension  of  the  normal  laws  of  human  nature. 

To  what  extent  the  immense  influx  of  wealth  to 
the  throne  by  commerce  and  otherwise,  reached  the 
people,  giving  them  facilities  for  its  accumulation,  it 
may  be  difficult  for  us  to  determine  absolutely.  It  is, 
however,  safe  enough  to  infer  that  there  was  a  great 
body  of  men  not  enriched  and  not  elevated  in  point 
of  style,  or  even  of  the  comforts  of  life,  by  the  new 
influences  which  were  bringing  such  wealth  to  their 
king.  There  was  an  immense  demand  for  hard  work, 
and  Solomon  drew  heavily  upon  the  solid  muscle  of 
thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of  men  drafted  into 
this  service.  It  would  be  very  like  all  other  workings  of 
human  nature  if,  having  the  power  to  coerce  such  labor, 


247 

he  did  not  pay  wnges  enough  to  improve  the  condition 
of  these  laboring  classes.  The  fact  comes  out  very 
clearly  after  his  death  that  the  people  had  felt  the 
burden  of  these  levies  for  service  and  of  their  govern- 
ment taxes,  and  were  quite  ready  for  revolution  if 
their  request  for  relief  were  denied.  The  state  of  the 
working  men— the  millions — of  Israel  was  therefore 
not  improved  but  deteriorated  by  the  influences  of 
Solomon's  reign.  This  deterioration  was  by  no  means 
favorable  to  either  the  religious  or  the  social  and  gen- 
eral culture  of  the  people. 

The  history  (1  Kings  11 :  14-40)  appends  to  its  sad 
account  of  Solomon's  apostasy  the  fact  that  in  the  latter 
years  of  his  reign,  Solomon  had  more  or  less  annoy- 
ance, not  to  say  political  trouble,  from  personal  ene- 
mies. Hadad,  representing  the  royal  house  of  Edom, 
had  found  great  favor  in  the  court  of  Egypt ;  Rezon, 
from  the  kingdom  of  Zobah,  had  found  a  home  in 
Damascus,  and  became  the  head  of  a  powerful  band. 
Both  became  declared  enemies  of  Solomon  and  dis- 
turbed the  otherwise  mostly  unbroken  peace  of  his 
realm.  In  the  same  connection  we  have  the  early  his- 
tory of  Jeroboam — a  bright,  active  young  man,  whom 
at  first  Solomon  promoted  to  responsibilities  because  of 
his  manifest  energy  and  efiiciency.  The  Lord  by  his 
prophet  designated  him  as  the  future  king  of  ten  of 
the  tribes.  It  seems  that  this  revelation  came  to  the 
knowledge  of  Solomon,  who  sought,  unsuccessfully,  to 
defeat  it  by  taking  Jeroboam's  life.  Jeroboam  fled  to 
Egypt,  and  was  ready  for  his  place  when  the  tribes 
broke  with  Rehoboam.  These  persons  became  God's 
instruments  to  disturb  the  peace  of  Solomon's  reign — 
not  to  say,  also,  to  scourge  him  for  his  great  apostasj^ 
These  facts  bear  strongly  upon  the  political — perhaps 
not  specially  upon  the  religious — condition  of  Solomon's 
kingdom. 

There  is  yet  another  point  on  which  all  thought- 
ful minds  will  be  moved  to  inquire,  viz.,  the  influence 
for  good  or  for  ill  of  the  unsurpassed  magnificence  of 
Solomon's  temple.  During  the  twenty-nine  years  (the 
maximum)  intervening  between  its  dedication  and 
Solomon's  death,  this  temple  stood  in  all  its  glory ;  the 
impressions  made  by  it,  then  fresh  and  new,  were  in 
their  fullest  strength ; — what  was  the  result  ? 


248         RELIGIOUS   INFLUENCE   OF  SOLOMON 's  REIGN. 

Under  David  the  Mosaic  Institutions  had  manifestly 
developed  an  immense  power.  The  worship  at  the  one 
place;  the  daily  morning  and  evening  sacrifice;  the 
new  moons ;  the  great  day  of  atonement,  and  the  three 
great  annual  festivals— these  normal  seasons  of  public 
worship,  enlivened  and  enforced  by  the  thrilling  serv- 
ice of  sacred  song — not  to  say,  also,  by  the  constant 
and  devout  attendance  of  their  beloved  king  David, 
must  have  made  the  tabernacle  worship  a  powerful 
agency  for  religious  culture  in  Israel.  It  is  safe  to 
assume  that  these  seasons  of  national  worship  were 
well  attended  during  the  greater  part  of  David's  reign. 
"The  tribes  w^ent  up" — the  masses  of  the  people 
thronged  to  the  sacred  city.  The  social  and  religious 
forces  of  their  sacred  institutions  were  in  full  operation 
— were,  we  may  probably  say,  in  their  glory. 

Under  Solomon's  reign  the  public  worship  at  the 
sanctuary  opened  with  the  quickening  inspirations  of 
that  mighty  movement  for  temple-building.  Immense 
contributions  of  gold,  silver,  treasure — the  presence  of 
materials  borne  laboriously  from  Joppa  to  Jerusalem 
and  piled  up  there  year  after  year,  stone  upon  stone,  as 
the  building  advanced,  in  growing  magnificence; — 
these  seven  years  of  previously  unknown  experience 
among  this  people  were  crowned  at  length  by  the  unsur- 
passed solemnity  of  its  dedication  when  God  came 
down  in  fire  and  in  the  visible  glory  of  the  Shechinah 
and  took  possession — all  constituting  an  era  in  their 
national  history  rarely  surpassed  in  its  interest  and  its 
promise. 

As  Christian  philosophers,  it  behooves  us  to  put  and 
press  the  question :  What  were  the  results?  Was  religion 
mightily  revived,  and  were  its  sweet,  hallowed  influ- 
ences for  the  religious  culture  and  for  the  moral  life  of 
the  people,  powerfully  sustained?  Did  the  magnifi- 
cence of  this  temple  take  hold  with  transforming  power 
upon  the  heart  of  the  masses  and  elevate  them  in  piety 
and  purity?  And  specially  to  our  purpose  in  view  of 
the  great  national  temptation  of  the  age — Did  this 
gorgeous  temple  plant  itself  as  a  breast-work  of  pro- 
tection against  idolatry? 

I  am  aware  that  it  may  be  said,  The  problem  is  not 
before  us  in  its  simple,  unmixed  elements,  because  the 
influence  of  the  king  and  his  court  became  so  entirely 


CONTACT  OF  SACRED  HISTORY  WITH  PROFANE.       249 

adverse,  and  interposed  so  much  countGraction. But 

why  should  we  not  reckon  in  the  power  of  this  temple 
upon  king  as  well  as  upon  people  ?  Did  the  magnifi- 
cent temple  conduce  toward  the  piety  and  stability  of 
Solomon  himself?  Did  it  hold  his  court  with  a  strong 
grasp  to  the  steadfast  service  and  worship  of  the  God  of 
Israel?  Did  the  esthetic  power  of  architecture,  orna- 
mentation, and  magnificence,  grasp  the  souls  of  either 
the  cultured  or  the  uncultured  Hebrews,  and  did  these 
elements  extend  their  influence  to  the  foreigners  who 
gathered  to  the  great  city  and  to  the  royal  court,  so  as 
to  move  them  all  effectively  toward  the  true  worship  of 

Israel's  God? It  was  a  great  experiment;   it  was 

novel — altogether  untried  before.  What  contribution 
does  it  supply  to  our  wisdom  and  knowledge  on  these 
great  points? 

In  reply,  a  few  things  may  be  safely  said — as  thus: 

(a)  There  is  no  evidence  that  this  temple,  after  its 

dedication,  improved  the  tone  of  the  religious  life  of 
Israel ;  in  other  words,  that  it  promoted  a  real  revival 

of  pure  religion. (b)  It  is  quite  certain  that  it  did 

not  avail  to  counteract  the  various  tendencies  which 
came  in  powerfully  upon  the  nation  in  the  age  of  Solo- 
mon toward  idolatry. (c)  It  is  therefore  quite  certain 

that  too  much  may  be  expected  of  religious  architecture 
and  of  the  esthetic  influence  of  the  place  and  surround- 
ings of  public  worship. (d)  While  this  case  of  Solo- 
mon's temple  may  be  quite  too  much  mixed  to  justify 
the  conclusion  that  its  influence  was  evil  rather  than 
good;  while  under  all  the  circumstances  it  might  be 
quite  illogical  to  infer  that  it  brought  no  blessings  to 
the  people;  yet  surely  the  case  must  suffice  to  prove 
that  these  external  influences  are  far  less  than  omnipo- 
tent; that  too  much  may  be  expected  of  them,  and  that 
"  the  excellency  of  the  power  "  that  saves  men  from  sin 
and  builds  up  real  holiness  in  human  souls  must  come 
more  directly  from  God  than  this. 

XI.  Some  points  exhibiting  contact  of  sacred  withqwo- 
fane  history  during  Solomon's  reign  demand  brief  atten- 
tion. 

It  was  very  early  in  the  reign  of  Solomon,  before  he 
had  finished  his  own  palace  or  even  the  temple,  that  he 
"made  aflfinity  with  Pharaoh  of  Egypt"  by  marrying 
his  daughter  (1  Kings  3  :  1).    Most  chronologists  concur 


250       CONTACT  OF  SACRED  HISTORY  WITH  PROFANE. 

in  locating  this  Pharaoh  in  the  21st  d3masty.  A  very 
common  opinion  makes  his  name  Psusennes  II, — the 
last  king  of  his  dynasty.  The  authorities,  however,  for 
these  names  are  somewhat  discordant,  and  no  absolutely 
sure  conclusion  can  yet  be  reached.  For  our  present  pur- 
pose of  confirming  sacred  history  by  the  authority  of 
profane  it  must  suffice  to  say  that  Egyptian  dates,  inde- 
pendent of  the  Scriptures,  place  the  close  of  this  dynasty 
within  the  reign  of  Solomon ;  and  that  all  concur  that 
Shishak,  who  comes  to  view  before  the  death  of  Solomon 
(1  Kings  11 :  40),  and  specially  in  the  fifth  year  of  Reho- 
boam,  (1  Kings  14 :  25,  and  2  Chron.  12 :  2),  as  an  ene- 
my, was  the  first  king  of  a  new  dynast}^,  the  22d ;  a  new 
king,  who  had  no  sympathies  in  common  with  the  family 
of  Solomon.* 

Turning  to  Tyre  we  find  confirming  testimony  yet 
more  abundant  than  in  the  reign  of  David.  The  Pheni- 
cian  historians,  Dius  and  Menander,  not  only  give  the 
name  Hiram  as  that  of  some  Tyrian  king,  but  as  the 
name  of  that  very  king  who  was  in  league  with  Solomon. 
In  extracts  which  come  down  to  us  through  Josephus 
they  both  speak  of  "hard  questions,"  passing  recij^ro- 
cally  between  these  kings  to  be  solved  for  a  w^ager ;  and 
curiously  (whether  in  the  interests  of  truth,  or  of 
national  vanity)  represent  that  one  Abdemon,  a  man 
of  Tyre,  solved  the  riddles  sent  by  Solomon,  and  sent 
back  others  which  Solomon  could  not  solve. t 

Again,  Menander  states  that  Hiram  gave  his  daughter 
in  marriage  to  Solomon — a  statement  the  more  probable 
because  the  sacred  records  speaks  of  his  taking  wives, 
princesses,  from  the  Zidonians  (1  Kings  11 :  1). 

Coincidences  in  the  line  of  comprehensive  and  general 
facts  (rather  than  specific)  are  given  very  forcibly  by 
Rawlinson  thus : — (1.)  The  kind  of  empire  ascribed  in 
Scripture  to  David  and  to  Solomon,  stretching  from  the 
Mediterranean  to  the  Euphrates,  is  that  which  was  com- 
mon in  those  ages  throughout  Western  Asia — one  great 
central  power,  holding  numerous  petty  tribes  and  king- 
doms in  a  tributary  relation.     Assyria  rose  soon  after 

to  a  similar  prominence ;  and,  next  after  it,  Chaldea. 

(2.)  The  great  buildings  of  Solomon,  somewhat  minutely 

*  Sec  Rawlinson's  Historical  Evidences,  pp.  93,  94. 
t  Rawlinson,  pp.  307,  308. 


CONTACT   OF    SACKED    HISTORY   WITH   PROFANE.      251 

described  in  the  Scriptures,  are  shown  to  be  remarkably 
in  harmony  with  the  taste  and  style  of  the  age.  The 
ruins  of  Nineveh,  Susa,  and  Persepolis,  extensively 
disclosed  during  the  present  century,  are  found  to  be 
in  a  similar  style  of  architecture  and  ornamentation 
with  the  great  structures  of  Solomon.  We  may  make 
these  special  points:  Immense  pillars  or  columns  of 
cedar ;  the  copious  use  of  gold  and  of  ivory ;  figures  of 

the  lion  about  the  throne,  and  gigantic  sculptures. 

(3.)  The  relative  prominence  of  the  Phenician  cities 
above,  not  the  Hebrews  only,  but  the  whole  world  then 
known,  in  the  arts,  in  navigation,  and  in  commerce. 
This  superiority  of  theirs  is  implied  throughout  the 
Scriptures ;  it  is  the  testimony  of  all  the  most  ancient 
history. 

Thus  the  Hebrew  history  of  the  age  of  Solomon  is  in 
accord  with  the  little  we  know  of  the  Egyptain  rec- 
ords  of  that  age ;  yet  more  clearly  so,  with  the  Pheni- 
cian annals;  with  the  traditions  of  the  Syrians  of 
Damascus,  and  of  Western  Asia  in  general.  We  have 
here  reached  a  point  where  confirming  testimony  begins 
to  come  in  from  the  Assyrian  inscriptions;  from  the 
ruins  of  Assyrian  and  Persian  palaces;  from  Pheni- 
cian coins,  and  histories,  and  from  the  earliest  Greek 
poetry.* 

*Rawlinson,  p.  90. 


252  THE    REVOLT. 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  Revolt 

The  kingdom  as  left  by  Solomon  is  rent  asunder;  ten 
tribes  organize  under  Jeroboam,  bearing  henceforward 
the  name  Israel :  only  two  tribes,  Judah  and  Benja- 
min, 3^et  bearing  the  name  Judah,  remain  to  Keho- 
boam,  son  and  successor  of  Solomon. 

This  great  historic  event  is  dated  B.  C.  975.  It 
became  an  important  epoch  in  Hebrew  historj^,  the 
more  so  because  this  separation  was  permanent,  no  re- 
union being  ever  effected ;  and  because  it  severed  the 
new,  the  Northern,  kingdom  from  the  influences  of  the 
sanctuary,  divorced  them  from  the  one  place  of  national 
worship,  and  practically  drifted  them  oflP  into  idolatry, 
and  consequent  degeneracy  and  corruption — political, 
religious,  and  moral. 

Both  our  histories  give  essentially  the  same  account  of 
the  negotiations  which  resulted  in  rupture  between  the 
ten  tribes  and  Rehoboam — the  author  of  Kings  having, 
however,  given  a  much  more  full  account  of  the  early 
history  of  Jeroboam.  The  point  of  grievance  with  the 
people  was  excessive  taxation.  The  luxury  and  cost  of 
Solomon's  court,  i.  e.,  his  family  establishment,  his 
harem,  and  his  political  relationships,  had  become 
simply  enormous.  Whether  the  profits  of  his  foreign 
trade  brought  in  less  supply  to  his  treasury,  or  whether 
the  tribute  paid  by  subject  kings  fell  off  in  the  lat- 
ter years  of  his  reign,  it  is  quite  plain  that  he  levied 
unsparingly  upon  his  people.  It  had  become  so  severe 
that  the  masses  were  at  one  in  demanding  relief  from 
Rehoboam  as  the  condition  of  their  allegiance. 

Rehoboam  met  this  demand  as  a  grave  question ;  de- 
ferred his  answer  for  three  days,  and  sought  advice. 
The  older  counselors — as  usual  the  wiser— advised  him 
to  make   concessions.     The  young  men*  brought  up 

*As  to  the  age  of  Rehoboam  at  his  accession,  put  at  forty -one,  (1 
Kings  14:  21,  and  2  Chron.  12:  13)  there  are  strong  reasons  for  as- 
suming this  to  be  an  error  of  some  copyist  for  twenty-one.  He  was 
manifestly  associated  in  education  and   age  with  the  young  men  (1 


THE    REVOLT.  253 

with  himself  in  luxury  and  self-indulgence,  with  never 
a  taste  of  what  labor  means,  and  having  not  the  least 
syrapath}^  with  the  toiling  millions,  advised  a  defiant 
answer,  threatening  heavier  burdens.  This  latter  ad- 
vice met  the  views  of  Kehoboam.  It  was  of  the  Lord 
that  he  should  be  left  to  play  the  fool ;  so  he  gave  the 
people  this  reply :  "  My  little  finger  shall  be  thicker 
than  my  father's  loins.  My  father  chastised  you  with 
whips;  I  will  chastise  you  with  scorpions."  Defiance 
begat  defiance ;  the  people  answered :  "  What  portion 
have  we  in  David,  neither  have  we  inheritance  in  the 
son  of  Jesse  :  To  your  tents,  0  Israel :  now  see  to  thine 
own  house,  David."  "  So  the  people  departed  to  their 
tents;"    and  the  kingdom  was  rent  asunder — never  to 

be  reunited. To  put  this  movement  to  the  test,  Re- 

hoboam  sent  out  his  tax-gatherer,  Adoniram  "  who  was 
over  the  tribute."  "  The  people  stoned  him  with  stones 
that  he  died."  Then  Rehoboam,  and  his  tribe  Judah, 
thought  to  rush  to  arms  to  subdue  this  rebellion,  but 
God  sent  his  prophet  Shemaiah  to  forbid  the  attempt ; 
and  they  desisted.  The  ten  tribes  called  Jeroboam  for 
their  king,  and  both  kingdoms  naturally  turned  their 
attention  to  military  defenses — standing  armies  and 
fortifications.  Everybody  saw  war  in  the  future  of 
these  kingdoms.  The  problem  of  "balance  of  power" 
became  intensely  critical. 

From  this  point  onward  we  have  two  kingdoms  to 
study  in  place  of  one.  It  becomes  a  practical  question 
— shall  we  attempt  to  carry  forward  these  histories 
co-ordinatel}^,  passing  often  from  one  to  the  other;  or 
shall  we  take  one  of  them  through  its  entire  career, 
making  its  history  the  leading  thread  and  touching 
the  rival  kingdom  only  for  its  relations  to  the  one  first 
presented;  and  then  in  like  manner  make  the  second 
kingdom  the  leading  theme  till  its  history  is  told?  I 
judge  the  latter  method  will  best  avoid  confusion  and 
conduce  to  a  clear  and  well-defined  conception  of  the 
history  of  both  kingdoms ;  and  propose  to  treat  first 
in  order  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel. 

Kings  12  :  10).  If  really  forty-one,  he  must  have  been  bora  one 
year. before  Solomon  came  to  his  throne,  and  of  an  Ammonite  mother 
— a  thing  highly  improbable.  Much  later  in  life  Solomon  married 
women  of  the  Ammonites;  but  not  (we  may  strongly  presume)  be- 
fore the  death  of  David. 


254  THE   REVOLT. 

Our  sources  of  information  are  mainly  the  books  of 
Kings  and  of  Chronicles.  These  two  books  differ  on  the 
point  last  spoken  of,  viz.,  the  method  of  treating  the 
co-ordinate  histories  of  the  two  kingdoms.  The  au- 
thor of  Kings  carries  both  kingdoms  on  together, 
passing  from  one  to  the  other  very  frequently,  yet 
aiming,  so  far  as  could  well  be  done,  to  keep  them 
both  before  the  mind  continuall}^  He  gives  all  the 
kings  in  both  lines ;  usually  their  age  when  they 
began  to  reign;  always  the  number  of  years  they 
reigned,  and  ordinarily  the  year  of  the  reigning  mon- 
arch in  the  other  kingdom  when  each  king  began. 
It  is  not  easy  to  say  whether  he  gives  disproportionate 
attention  to  Israel :  but  it  may  certainly  be  said  that, 
compared  with  his  brother,  the  author  of  Chronicles, 
he  presents  the   Northern  kingdom  much  more  fully 

and  the  Southern  much   less  fully. On  the  other 

hand,  the  author  of  Chronicles  gives  all  the  kings  of 
Judah,  but  not  all — not  more  than  half  the  names  even 
— of  the  kings  of  Israel ;  gives  as  to  the  kings  of  Judah 
the  years  they  severally  reigned,  and  commonly  their 
age  when  they  respectively  began  to  reign;  but  never 
tells  us  in  what  year  of  the  rival  monarch  any  one  of 
them  began.  Indeed  he  makes  no  attempt  to  present 
the  history  of  the  kings  of  Israel.  He  refers  to  those 
kings  only  in  order  to  write  out  more  fully  the  kings  of 
Judah.  The  latter  are  always  the  leading  theme.  The 
kings  of  Israel  come  in  only  incidentally.  The  author 
of  Chronicles  had  a  different  purpose  in  his  history  from 
that  of  his  brother,  the  author  of  Kings — as  has  been 
suggested  above  in  the  introduction  to  Chronicles,  viz., 
to  bring  out  specially  the  history  of  the  good  kings  and 
of  their  great  revivals ;  and  in  general  whatever  might 
bear  with  wholesome  force  upon  the  then  present  duties, 
responsibilities,  hopes,  and  faith,  of  the  returned  exiles. 

The  author  of  Kings  wrote  as  we  should  expect 

Jeremiah  to  write;  selected  his  matter  as  if  he  were 
Jeremiah,  aiming  every-where  to  show  how  idolatry 
worked  out  every  form  of  ruin;  how  God  labored 
through  his  prophets  and  by  means  of  varied  discipline 
and  judgment  to  recall  his  wandering  people  to  him- 
self; how — as  he  often  puts  it — "the  Lord  sent  to  them 
all  his  prophets,  rising  up  early  and  sending  " ;  but  the 
people  would  not  hear,  and  could  not  be  saved. This 


JEROBOAM.  255 

purpose  held  him  to  a  close  and  continuous  history  of 
the  Northern  kingdom,  down  to  its  final  and  speedy 
fall.  Illustrations  of  the  same  principle  occur  not  in- 
frequently in  Judah ;  he  gives  them  due  attention  in 

their   place. The  author  of  Kings  does  not  assume 

that  Chronicles  is  already  extant;  but  the  author  of 
Chronicles  does  assume  that  the  book  of  Kings  may  be 
before  his  readers,  so  that  he  can  refer  readily  to'  the 
kings  of  Israel  without  formally  introducing  them  to 

his  readers. Sketching  the  history  of  Israel  first  in 

order,  we  shall  naturally  follow  for  the  most  part  the 
thread  of  the  narrative  as  in  Kinjrs. 


Jerohoam.^^ 

The  first  king  of  Israel  had  shown  himself  active, 
shrewd,  capable;  one  of  those  men  who  are  born  to 
do  something  in  the  world,  and  are  ready  upon  occa- 
sion to  step  into  any  position  of  high  responsibility. 
His  keen  eye  saw  at  once  that  the  religious  element 
in  man's  nature  is  a  great  power,  to  be  taken  into  ac- 
count in  politics.  If  his  people  continued  to  go  up 
three  times  a  year  to  Jerusalem  for  their  religious 
worship,  how  could  he  trust  them  to  be  true  to 
his  throne?  Yet  they  would  not  be  satisfied  with- 
out some  religion — so  he  projected  a  new  system.  In 
this  system  it  was  vital  that  the  localities  of  worship 
should  be  within  the  bounds  of  his  own  kingdom. 
He  did  not  care  to  bring  all  the  people  to  one  place ; 
he  consulted  their  convenience  and  perhaps  other 
objects  by  fixing  upon  two — one  at  Dan,  in  his  extreme 
northern  limit,  where  idolatry  seems  never  to  have 
lost  its  focrt-hold  since  the  age  of  the  Judges ;  and  the 

*  The  Septuagint,  compared  witli  the  Hebrew  text,  gives  a  quite 
diiFereiit  history  of  Jeroboam' s  antecedents — a  history  not  merely 
supplementary,  but  in  many  points  radically  unlike.  Some  critics 
(e.  g.,  Stanley,  as  in  Smith's  Bible  Dictionary — "Jeroboam")  adopt  the 
Septuagint  in  preference  to  the  Hebrew  text. — attracted  by  its  min- 
uteness of  detail,  and  by  what  is  taken  for  verisimilitude. It  is 

not  claimed  that  the  Hebrew  text  is  lame,  apparently  deficient,  or 
lacking  self-consistency.  I  see  therefore  no  sufficient  reason  to  dis- 
credit it  as  compared  with  the  Septuagint.  The  additions  in  tlie 
latter  are  in  my  view  to  be  classed  with  its  additions  to  the 
book  of  Esther  and  to  the  book  of  Daniel  as  representing  Hebrew  tra- 
dition at  the  time  of  its  translation. 


256  JEROBOAM. 

other  at  Bethel — far  toward  its  southern  border.  We 
read  of  "an  house  of  high  places" — probably  a  tem- 
porary and  inferior  structure  of  the  sort  common  on 
the  hill-tops — consecrated  to  idol-worship;  and  also  of 
an  altar  upon  which  offerings  were  made  and  incense 
burned  (1  Kings  12:  31,  33).  More  surprising  than 
all  else  is  the  fact  that  he  made  two  golden  calves,  and 
in  the  very  words  used  by  Aaron  in  his  scene  of  calf- 
worship  (Ex.  32 :  4,  8)  proclaimed,  "  Behold  thy  gods, 
0  Israel,  which  brought  thee  up  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt."  The  most  astounding  thing  here  is  that  the 
people  could  so  readily  relapse  into  that  form  of  idola- 
try which  brought  upon  their  nation  God's  fearful  re- 
buke in  the  wilderness.  As  to  Jeroboam,  we  ma}^ 
remember  that  he  was  fresh  from  Egypt,  and,  naturally 
enough,  brought  back  with  him  this  Egyptian  worship; 
but  how  could  the  people  endure  it  ?  It  was,  perhaps, 
less  revolting  at  first  view  because,  professedly^  the  calf 
was  not  to  be  itself  the  object  of  worship  as  if  itself  a 
God;  but  rather  represented  the  true  God.  Egypt  paid 
high  honors  to  the  cow  as  one  of  the  most  useful  of 
animals,  so  that  those  philosophic  minds  who  rose  from 
the  creature  up  to  the  Creator  may  have  regarded  the 
honors  paid  the  calf  as  being  virtually  paid  to  its 
Maker.  This  process  of  thought,  though  too  refined 
and  abstruse  for  the  masses,  may  yet  have  smoothed 
the  descent  downward  to  this  form  of  idol-worship. 
The  people  of  Israel  at  this  time  accepted  it  but  too 
readily,  no  remonstrance  appearing  on  the  pages  of 
this  history.* 

Jeroboam  made  two  other  changes:  (1.)  Of  the  stated 
times  for  worship;  not  three  times  a  year,  but  only 
once;  and  this  not  in  the  first  month,  which  might 
(undesirably  to  him)  remind  the  people  of  the  Pass- 
over; and  not  on  the  seventh,  which  would  be  associ- 
ated with  the  feast  of  tabernacles;  but  on  the  eighth, 
which  would  be  associated  with  nothing  in  Hebrew 
history. (2.)  Next,  he  ruled  out  the  entire  body  of 

*  It  should  be  said,  however,  on  the  authority  of  Chronicles,  that 
"  such  as  set  their  heart  to  seek  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  came  to  Je- 
rusalem to  sacrifice  unto  the  God  of  their  fathers" — thus  quietly 
protesting  against  Jeroboam's  calf-worship.  It  seems  to  be  implied 
in  this  connection  (2  Chron.  11:  13-17)  that  they  not  only  came  to 
Jerusalem  to  worship,  but  removed  their  residence  and  citizenship, 
thus  strengthening  Ilehoboam's  kingdom. 


THE  AGENCY  OF  PROPHETS  IN  ISRAEL.  257 

priests  and  Levites  as  knowing  too  much  and  having 
too  much  personal  character ;  and,  therefore,  not  suffi- 
ciently tractable  for  his  purpose.  In  their  place  he  put 
the  lowest  of  the  people,  his  new  religion  having  no 
sympathy  with  intelligence  or  moral  stamina  of  char- 
acter.  Religiously  his  kingdom  is  now  (as  he  hopes) 

on  a  footing  of  stability.  The  priests  and  Levites 
being  thus  thrust  out  of  service  and  honor  and  robbed 
of  bread,  emigrated  into  Judah,  carrying  out  of  one 
kingdom  into  the  other,  not  numerical  force  only,  but 
the  better  elements  of  religious  character. 

The  Agency  of  God's  'prophets  in  Israel, 

It  should  be  specially  noticed  that  as  Israel  was  cut 
loose  by  the  policy  of  Jeroboam  from  the  religious  in- 
fluences of  the  Mosaic  Institutions,  the  Lord  sought  to 
supplement  that  lack  in  a  measure  by  employing 
prophets.  In  the  outset,  Ahijah  of  Shiloh,  in  promising 
Jeroboam  ten  tribes,  assigned  the  idolatry  of  Solomon 
as  the  reason  for  taking  these  tribes  from  his  son,  and 
promised  Jeroboam  a  sure  house — i.  e.,  a  permanent 
throne  for  himself  and  posterity,  on  condition  of  his 
faithful  allegiance  to  Jehovah  (1  Kings  11 :  31-39). 
Nothing  in  the  history  indicates  that  Jeroboam  gave 
this  proposition  even  his  respectful  attention.  It  is 
quite  plain  that  he  did  not  shape  his  national  policy 
to  meet  this  divine  proposal. 

In  1  Kings  14  we  see  Jeroboam  again  in  contact  with 
this  aged  prophet,  Ahijah  of  Shiloh.  He  had  a  favorite 
son,  Abijah,  severely  sick.  Probably  he  hoped  for  some 
help  from  the  prophet,  or  from  the  Lord  through  his 
prophet,  though  the  ostensible  errand  was  only  to  inquire 
what  shall  become  of  the  child.  Well  aware  that  his 
record  as  king  would  bear  greatly  if  not  fatally  against 
his  success,  he  sends  his  wife  (did  he  trust  to  a  mother's 
power  to  move  human  sympathy?) — sends  her  d^wisec^, 
but  liberally  laden  with  presents  for  the  old  prophet. 

Ahijah  had  lost  his  eye-sight,  so  that  the  deception 

might  have  been  successful,  save  that  the  eyes  of  the 
Lord  were  there.  When  the  sound  of  her  feet  on  his 
threshold  fell  on  the  old  prophet's  ear,  how  was  she 
astounded  with  his  greeting:  "Come  in,  thou  wife  of 
Jeroboam;  why  feignest  thou  thj'self  to  be  another? 
12 


258  THE  AGENCY  OF  PROPHETS  IN  ISRAEL. 

for  1  am   sent  to  thee   with   heavy  tidings." The 

prophet  prefaced  these  tidings  with  an  allusion  to  the 
Lord's  original  proposal  to  Jeroboam  of  a  sure  throne 
if  he  would  rule  righteously  for  the  God  of  Israel ;  ar- 
raigned  him  for  his  utter  failure  to  meet  these  condi- 
tions; charged  him  with  open,  outrageous  idolatry; 
and  closed  with  the  doom  of  swift  extinction  to  his 
royal  house,  and  with  the  announcement  to  Jeroboam's 
wife:  ''When  thy  feet  shall  enter  the  city,  the  child 
shall  die."  So  it  came  to  pass. This  prophetic  mes- 
sage also  announced  the  rooting  up  of  Israel  from  her 
goodly  land,  and  her  dispersion  in  captivity  beyond  the 
great  Euphrates— as  God's  ultimate  judgment  for  her 
persistent  idolatry. 

In  1  Kings  13  appears  a  very  remarkable  narrative 
of  the  mission  of  a  prophet  from  Judah  (name  sup- 
pressed)— sent  to  meet  King  Jeroboam  at  his  idol  altar 
in  Bethel.  We  may  suppose  it  to  have  been  on  the  day 
of  Jeroboam's  annual  feast  in  the  eighth  month.  He 
stood  by  the  altar  to  burn  incense.  The  prophet  cried 
against  the  altar  at  the  word  of  the  Lord,  declaring  that 
a  child  should  be  born  to  the  house  of  David  who  should 
offer  on  that  altar  the  very  priests  of  the  high  places 
that  burn  incense  there,  and  should  burn  upon  it  dead 
men's  bones  to  defile  it.  This  projohecy  beyond  ques- 
tion referred  to  King  Josiah.* 

When  Jeroboam  heard  these  words  from  the  prophet 
he  put  forth  his  hand  to  seize  him,  and  also  commanded 
the  bystanders — "Lay  hold  on  him."  Instantly  that 
outstretched  hand  withered,  and  the  king  "could  not 
pull  it  in  again  "  to  its  normal  position.  The  prophet 
had  given  a  sign  that  should  verify  his  prediction, 
viz.,  "  The  altar  shall  be  rent,  and  the  ashes  upon  it 

*  The  text  as  we  have  it  has  the  phrase,  "  Josiah  by  name  " — which, 
however,  some  critics  suppose  to  be  spurious — but  only  upon  inter- 
nal, not  external  grounds.  They  urge  that  it  is  not  common  that 
prophecy  should  be  so  minute  as  to  give  names  so  long  in  advance 
of  fulfillment;  that  such  minuteness  has  no  worthy  object,  and  that 
in  the  narrative  of  its  fulfillment  (2  Kings  23:  15-20)  it  is  not 
intimated  that  Josiah' s  name  had  been  given  in  the  prophecy  then 

being  fulfilled. 1  fail  to  see  any  special  force  in  these  objections. 

It  is  barely  possible  that  the  phrase  may  have  been  introduced  by 
some  subsequent  compiler  as  an  explanation;  but  a  bare  possibility 
can  never  justify  a  violent  change  of  the  sacred  text,  for  which 
change  we  have  no  important  reasons. 


THE    AGENCY  OF    PROPHETS   IN    ISRAEL.  259 

shall  be  poured  out." To  make  the  king's  consterna- 
tion the  more  complete  tliis  sign  forthwith  took  place  ; 
the  altar  was  rent,  and  the  ashes  scattered  abroad. 
Jeroboam  begged  for  the  prophet's  prayers,  and  for  his 
hand  to  be  restored  to  its  normal  power.  The  prophet 
prayed  and  God  restored  the  withered  hand. Sud- 
denly the  king's  tactics  were  changed.  Instead  of  violent 
arrest,  he  said  to  the  old  prophet — Now  be  so  good  as  to 
go  home  with  me  to  dinner,  "and  refresh  thyself,  and 

I  will  give  thee   a  reward." Never,  answered  the 

prophet ;  my  orders  are  not  to  eat  bread  nor  drink  water 
in  this  desecrated  place,  and  not  to  return  by  the  same 

way  that /I  came. So  far  this  prophet  is  true  to  his 

commission,  and  all  has  passed  off  well.  The  moral 
trial  under  which  he  fell  now  opens — on  this  wise. 

There  lived  an  old  prophet  at  Bethel  (was  he  ever  a 
good  man?) — whose  sons  seem  to  have  witnessed  the 
scene  at  the  Bethel  altar.  Returning  home  they 
rehearse  the  story  to  their  father.  Forthwith  he 
orders  his  ass  saddled;  pursues  and  overtakes  the  old 
prophet  of  Judah,  and  invites  him  to  his  own  home  to 
eat  bread.      The  prophet  answers — No;  my  orders  ex- 

plicity  forbid  it. But,  rejoins  the  old  man  of  Bethel, 

"  I  am  a  prophet  as  thou  art,  and  an  angel  spake  unto 
me  by  the  word  of  the  Lord,  saying,  "  Bring  him  back 
with  thee  into  thine  house  that  he  may  eat  bread  and 
drink  water."     "  But  "  (adds  the  record)  "  he  lied  unto 

him." This  was  the  j^oint  of  stern  temptation.     He 

is  weary,  we  may  presume,  and  hungr}^,  so,  with  quite 
too  little  thought,  he  concludes  that,  perhaps,  the  Lord 
had  changed  his  mind  and  given  his  consent  that  his 
prophet   might   take   some   refreshment   even   in  this 

wicked  Bethel. While  they  sat  at  the  table  a  message 

really  from  the  Lord  (not  a  lie  as  the  former)  came  to 
this  Bethel  prophet  for  his  guest :  "  Thou  hast  disobeyed 
the  word  of  the  Lord  to  thee ;  thy  carcass  shall  never  go 
to  the  grave  of  thy  fathers."  The  prophet  of  Judah 
started  for  his  home;  a  lion  met  him  in  the  way  and 
slew  him. 

These  are  the  staple  facts  of  the  record :  What  is 
their  explanation,  and  what  are  the  lessons  they  were 
intended  to  teach  ? 

An  era  of  prophetic  missions  to  tlie  ten  tribes  in 
revolt  was  now  opening.     The  reception  given  to  this 


260  THE  AGENCY  OF  rROPHETS  IN  ISRAEL. 

prophet  from  Judali  by  Jeroboam  was  quite  in  point  to 
show  how  delicate  and  critical  such  prophetic  missions 
were  likely  to  be,  and  how  vital  to  their  success  it  was 
that  the  prophets  should  not  only  understand  their 
messages,  but  have  supreme,  unlimited  confidence  that 
the  messages  given  them  were  really  from  God.  For 
all  along  through  this  era  of  prophetic  missions  in 
Israel,  the  devil  would  be  working  his  system  of  false, 
lying  prophets  to  counteract  as  best  he  could  the  influ- 
ence of  God's  true  prophets.  It  was  vital,  therefore,  to 
forewarn  God's  prophets  to  be  on  their  guard  against 
the  devil's  prophets  and  against  his  lies.  Jeremiah 
had  this  fearful  battle  to  fight  to  the  bitter  end.  No 
prophet  whose  history  is  known  to  us  came  into  contact 
with  false  prophets  so  often  and  so  fiercely  as  he.  Such 
a  case  as  this  in  1  Kings  13  finds  a  place  naturally, 
therefore,  in  this  history,  assuming  it  to  have  been 
written  by  Jeremiah. 

As  to  the  moral  character  of  this  old  prophet  of  Bethel, 
it  is  not  perhaps  competent  for  us  to  pass  upon  it  abso- 
lutely. The  only  point  of  difficulty  is  this :  how,  if  he 
were  a  prophet  of  God,  he  could  lie  so  to  the  prophet  of 
Judah,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  how,  if  he  were  a  prophet 
of  the  devil,  the  Lord  should  have  spoken  through  his 
lips  there  at  the  table,  dining  with  his  guest.  Perhaps 
it  may  relieve  us  on  either  horn  of  this  dilemma  if  we 
consider,  (a)  That  a  man,  normally  good,  ma}^  some- 
times sin — as  in  this  case,  may  be  left  of  God  to  lie  : 

and  (b)  That  a  bad  man  may  be  used  of  God,  as  Balaam 
was,  to  make  prophetic  communications,  though  only  in 
rare,  exceptional  cases. 

Kecurring  to  the  moral  purpose  of  God  in  permitting 
such  a  trial  to  come  upon  one  of  his  prophets  and  really 
seduce  him  into  sin,  to  his  sad  but  exemplary  death,  we 
may  suggest  that  it  was  supplemented  not  long  after  by 
the  case  of  Jonah,  which,  being  put  on  permanent 
record  by  his  own  pen,  bears  a  similar  w^arning  to  all 
prophets  of  the  Lord  to  execute  with  unswerving  fidelity 
their  divine  commission.  These  prophets  were  human; 
only  mere  men  of  flesh  and  blood,  and  accessible,  there- 
fore, to  those  various  temptations  which  more  or  less 
encompass  all  the  saints  of  God  in  their  earthly  life. 
The  solemn  functions  of  the  prophet  brought  his  soul 
into  peculiarly  near  relations  to  the  Great   God;    but 


JEROBOAM  OF  ISRAEL  AND  ABIJAM  OF  JUDAII.       2G1 

even  this  did  not  lift  him  above  all  approaches  of  temp- 
tation; did  not  quench  utterly  those  susceptibilities 
upon  which  temptation  works — to  the  result  sometimes 
of  sorrowful  sinning. 

In  the  subsequent  history  of  this  Northern  kingdom, 
we  shall  frequently  meet  with  the  Lord's  prophets.  A 
few  of  them  appear  without  name.  It  is  certain  that 
there  were  some  there  to  whom  no  allusion  is  made  in 
either  of  our  historic  books.  Their  presence  and  labors 
there  come  down  to  us  only  in  their  own  prophetic 
books;  e.  g.^  Hosea,  Amos,  Micah.  Of  those  prophets 
who  ministered  in  Israel,  some  left  no  prophetic  writ- 
ings, and  are  known  to  us  only  through  the  historic 
books;  e.  g.y  Elijah  and  Elisha;  Jehu,  son  of  Hanani. 
Another  class  named  in  these  histories  are  yet  best 
known  through  their  preserved  writings — the  books 
designated  as  "  The  Prophets ; "  e.  g.,  Isaiah,  Jeremiah, 
Jonah. 

Returning  to  Jeroboam,  we  note  that  the  historian 
touches  but  briefly  upon  the  political  events  of  his 
reign.  When  Rehoboam  sprang  to  arms  to  repress  the 
revolt,  the  Lord  peremptorily  forbade  it ;  and  he  de- 
sisted. Apparently  no  great  battle  was  fought  between 
these  two  kings  during  their  respective  reigns,  though  a 
state  of  hostility  was  chronic  :  "  There  was  war  between 
Rehoboam  and  Jeroboam  all  their  days  "  (1  Kings  14 : 
30,  and  15  :  6) ;  "  wars  between  Rehoboam  and  Jeroboam 
continually  "  (2  Chron.  12  :  15). 

As  Jeroboam  reigned  twenty-two  years  and  Rehoboam 
but  seventeen,  Abijam,  son  and  successor  of  Rehoboam, 
filled  out  three  years  on  his  throne  alongside  of  Jero- 
boam. The  author  of  Kings  says  briefly :  "  There  was 
war  between  Abijam  and  Jeroboam ; "  but  the  author  of 
Chronicles  devotes  most  of  one  chapter  (2  Chron.  13 : 
1-20)  to  a  very  remarkable  and  most  bloody  battle  be- 
tween them.  Opening  with  a  proclamation  by  King 
Abijam,  setting  forth  the  claims  of  David's  posterity 
to  the  throne  over  all  Israel ;  the  apostasy  and  idolatry 
of  Jeroboam ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  the  adherence  of 
Judah  to  the  established  worship  at  the  temple ;  and, 
j^lacing  himself  publicly  under  the  protection  of  the 
Lord  God  of  their  fathers,  he  exhorted  his  enemy  in 

arms  to  forbear  to  fight  against  God. Jeroboam  with 

800,000  warriors  was  in  the  field  against  Abijam,  with 


262  JEROBOAM  AND  ABIJAM  OF  JUDAH. 

only  half  that  number.  To  his  advantage  in  superior 
numbers  Jeroboam  sought  to  add  that  of  ambushment. 
With  his  immense  masses  of  men  he  quite  surrounded 
his  enemy. 

When  Judah  saw  their  foe  before  and  behind,  they 
cried  to  the  Lord  ;  the  priests  sounded  with  their  trum- 
pets; the  men  of  Judah  gave  their  terrible  war-shout; 
at  that  moment  God  smote  Jeroboam  and  all  Israel  be- 
fore Abijam  and  Judah.  The  record  is  that  there  fell 
slain  of  Israel  500,000— a  half  million  of  men.  The 
historian's  brief  comment  is:  "Thus  the  children  of 
Israel  were  brought  under  at  that  time,  and  the  children 
of  Judah  prevailed  because  they  relied  u^wn  the  Lord 
God  of  their  fathers."  Abijam  followed  up  his  victory; 
took  various  cities,  Bethel  included.  "Neither  did 
Jeroboam  recover  strength  again  in  the  days  of  Abijam, 

and  the  Lord  struck  him  and  he  died." His  reign, 

commencing  with  some  vigor,  became  morally  more 
and  more  rotten,  and  ended  in  political  weakness  and 

dishonor. His    son   Nadab  reigned  but  two  years, 

then  fell  by  a  conspiracy  which  extinguished  the  royal 
line  and  the  entire  family  of  Jeroboam. 

Baasha,  of  little  known  but  humble  antecedents,  was 
the  head  conspirator.  He  seems  to  have  gained  control 
of  the  army  then  besieging  Gibbethon  in  war  against 
the  Philistines.  This  done,  he  slew  Nadab,  and  all  sur- 
vivors of  the  line  of  Jeroboam ;  then  seated  himself  on 
the  vacant  throne — only  to  reign  jxt  more  wickedly. 
Beginning  in  the  third  year  of  Asa  (of  Judah),  and 
reigning  twenty-four  years,  his  history  hands  down  only 
these  facts — that  he  was  in  hostile  attitude  toward 
Asa  all  his  days;  and  that  at  some  period  he  began  to 
fortify  Ramah,  "  that  he  might  not  suffer  any  to  go  out 
or  to  come  in  to  Asa  king  of  Judah  "  (1  Kings  15 :  17, 
and  2  Chron.  16 :  1).  Ramah  held  a  commanding  mili- 
tary position  on  the  great  road  from  Jerusalem  north- 
ward, and  but  five  miles  distant.  A  strong  garrison 
tliere  would  prevent  good  men  of  the  Northern  kingdom 
from  going  to  Jerusalem,  or  emigrating  into  Judah,  and 
might  sharply  menace  Asa's  capital.  To  compel  Baasha 
to  desist  from  this  enterprise.  King  Asa  hired  Benhadad 
of  Syria  to  attack  the  northern  cities  of  Baasha's  king- 
dom— with  the  desired  result.  For  this  reliance  on  a 
foreign  heathen  power,  Hanani,  the  prophet,  is  sent  to 


BAASHA,  263 

rebuke  Asa :  "  Thou  shouldest  have  relied  on  the  Lord 
thy  God  " — always  able  to  save  his  trustful  people ;  who 
had  previously  saved  thee  from  the  mighty  host  of  the 
Et.hiopians,  and  would  have  saved  thee  at  this  time. 
'^In  this  thing  thou  hast  done  foolishly;  from  hence- 
forth thou  shalt  have  wars."* 

After  Baasha,  his  son  Elah  reigned  two  years ;  then 
fell  by  conspiracy  (headed  by  Zimri,  captain  of  half 
his  chariots)  while  he  was  ingloriously  drinking  him- 
self drunk  in  the  house  of  his  steward.  Zimri  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  exterminate  the  whole  house  of 
Baasha,  as  the  Lord  had  said  by  Jehu  the  prophet — 
the  penalty  for  having  utterly  failed  to  rule  right- 
eously in  the  fear  of  God  and  to  put  down  idolatry. 

Another  djmasty  is  blotted  out  from  Israel. 

This  conspirator  Zimri  reigned  but  seven  days. 
("Had  Zimri  peace  who  slew  his  master?"  2  Kings  9  : 
31).  The  army  again  besieging  Gibbethon — where 
twenty-six  years  before  Baasha  struck  for  the  throne — 
hearing  that  Zimri  had  slain  the  king,  chose  to  put 
Omri,  then  captain-general  of  the  arm}^  on  the  throne. 
They  soon  disposed  of  Zimri.  Another  competitor, 
Tibni,  w^as  ultimately  slain,  and  Omri  reigned,  no  one 
disputing  the  throne.  For  six  years  he  held  the  old 
capital  Tirzah,  (a  beautiful  city  of  Ephraim,  just  north 
from  Mt.  Ebal,  and  identified  by  Dr.  Robinson) ;  and 
then  built  Samaria — thenceforward  the  nation's  capital 

to  the  fall  of  the  kingdom. Morally  and  religiously, 

Omri  is  no  improvement  upon  his  predecessors,  "  walk- 
ing in  all  the  ways  of  Jeroboam  wherewith  he  made  Israel 
to  sin  to  provoke  the  God  of  Israel  to  anger  with  their 
vanities"  (1  Kings  16:  26).  Omri  will  be  most  re- 
membered as  the  father  of  Ahab. 

*  As  to  the  date  of  these  transactions,  the  author  of  Kings  give  no 
figures;  the  author  of  Chronicles  gives  figures  (2  Chron.  15:  19,  and 
IG  :  1),  which  must  be  in  error,  since  they  would  place  these  events 
eight  or  nine  years  after  Baasha's  death.  For  Baasha  began  to  reign 
in  the  third  year  of  Asa;  died,  therefore,  after  a  reign  of  twenty-four 
years,  in  Asa's  twenty-seventh  year;   but  here  the  figures  are  in 

Asa's  thirty-fifth  and  thirty-sixth  year, Among  various  proposed 

methods  of  correction,  the  best  dates,  not  from  Asa's  accession,  but 
from  the  revolt — twenty  years  further  back. 


264  ahab:  elijah  the  tishbite. 

Ahab,  and  Elijah  the  Tishbite. 

Three  great  historic  facts  make  the  name  of  Ahab 
conspicuous :  (a.)  His  marriage  to  Jezebel,  daughter  of 
Ethbaal,  king  of  the  Zidonians;  and  its  consequences; 

(b.)    His  relations   to  Elijah  the  prophet; (c.) 

His  affinity  with  the  otherwise  good  Jehoshaphat,  and 
the  evils  entailed  upon  Judah  through  this  connec- 
tion. 

(a.)  Jezebel,  a  born  idolater,  of  indomitable  spirit 
and  energy,  equal  to  any  wickedness  which  her  proud 
aspirations  might  prompt  her  to  commit,  brought 
into  Israel  the  whole  system  of  Baal-worship;  sus- 
tained it  by  importing  or  raising  up  in  Israel  hun- 
dreds of  Baal-prophets,  and  by  the  utmost  exertion 
of  her  personal  and  political  power.  She  appears 
every-where  as  Ahab's  counselor  and  instigator  to 
wickedness.  Her  plot  to  murder  Naboth  for  his  vine- 
yard; to  cut  off  the  prophets  of  the  Lord  en  masse; 
and,  finally,  to  revenge  herself  on  Elijah  by  taking  his 
life,  are  at  once  cases  in  point  and  illustrations  of  her 
influence.  The  power  of  such  a  queen  opened  a  new 
era  in  the  kingdom  of  Israel.  It  took  a  long  stride  in 
the  downward  road  toward  national  reprobation  and 
ruin ;  brought  a  new  strain  of  moral  trial  upon  the 
religious  people  still  surviving  in  that  kingdom ;  and 
called  forth  fresh  interpositions  of  that  redemptive 
force  which  God  had  provided  through  his  prophets. 

We  are  but  barely  introduced  to  the  wicked  Ahab  and 
his  more  wicked  Jezebel  (1  Kings  16:  29-33),  when  all 
suddenly  (1  Kings  17  :  1)  Elijah  the  Tishbite  bursts 
upon  our  view.  Probably  "Tishbite"  indicates  the 
city  from  which  he  came, — of  which  nothing  is  cer- 
tainly known ;  Gilead,  east  of  the  Jordan,  the  country 
where  he  had  been  a  sojourner,  yet  apparently,  not  a 
native.  Beyond  this  we  inquire  for  his  antecedents  in 
vain.  Was  he  of  the  schools  of  the  prophets — a  pupil 
trained  under  some  earlier  men  of  God?  Had  he  been 
in  prophetic  service  before  this  mission  to  Ahab?  Or 
was  he  only  a  rude  mountaineer,  of  rough,  stern  cul- 
ture ;  trained  through  years  of  solitude  and  prayer  into 
devout  communion  with  God  and  unblenching  firmness 

of  obedience  to  God's  high  behests? Ah,  indeed,  w^e 

seem  to  know  nothing  where  our  curiosity  instinctively 


ELIJAH  THE  PROPHET.  265 

cisks  SO  much.  It  is  doubtless  safe  to  say  that  the  Lord 
had  had  the  training  of  his  servant  Elijah  for  precisely 
such  an  emergency  as  the  reign  of  Ahab  and  the  sway 
of  Jezebel  had  created ;  so  that  it  only  remained  at  this 
juncture  to  summon  him  forth  from  the  mountains  of 
Gilead  for  his  work. 

His  first  message  to  Ahab  was  put  in  few  but  most 
telling  words :  "  As  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  liveth,  there 
shall  not  be  dew  nor  rain  these  years,  but  according  to 
my  word."  So  much ;  no  more ;  and  Elijah  disappears 
as  abruptly  as  he  came.  The  word  of  the  Lord  baae  him 
"  hide  himself  by  the  brook  Cherith  that  is  before  Jor- 
dan."* There  the  Lord  commanded  the  ravens  f  to 
bring  him  bread  and  flesh  morning  and  evening ;  and 
he  drank  of  the  brook  until  under  the  severity  of  the 
drought  the  fountain  foiled. His  next  location  is  out- 
side the  limits  of  Israel,  with  a  widow-woman  of  Zare- 
phath  (the  Zarepta  of  Luke  4 :  26)  "  which  belongeth 
unto  Zidon."  He  finds  her  gathering  a  few  sticks  for 
(as  she  supposed)  her  last  cooking  fire,  for  she  had  come 
down  to  the  last  handful  of  meal  and  the  last  running 
of  her  oil.  Elijah  is  hungry,  and  presses  his  request  for 
a  meal  even  of  this  starving  family;  but  his  employer 
will  provide ;  and  authorizes  him  to  say  to  this  woman — 
Go  on;  fear  not;  but  make  me  a  little  cake  first,  and 
then  make  for  thyself  and  son — for  the  Lord  God  of 
Israel  saith,  "  The  barrel  of  meal  shall  not  waste,  nor 
shall  the  cruse  of  oil  fail  until  the  day  that  the  Lord 
sendeth  rain  upon  the  earth."  So  the  supply  held  out 
and  the  board  of  Elijah  and  of  his  hostess  was  provided, 

for   many   days. According    to   the   narrative,    the 

closing  scene  of  Elijah's  stay  in  the  house  of  this  widow 
was  the  raising  of  her  son  to  life.  The  woman  seemed 
to  assume  that  her  son's  death  was  in  some  way  the 
result  of  Elijah's  presence  there,  for  she  said  to  him, 
"  What  have  I  to  do  with  thee.  Oh  thou  man  of  God?" 

■■••  This  brook  emptied  into  the  Jordan,  but  on  which  side  of  it,  and 
which  of  many  it  was,  must  probably  remain  unknown. 

t  All  attempts  to  change  these  ravens  (exegetically)  into  Arabs  or 
merchants  or  Orbitcs  seem  to  fall  short  of  even  probability.  Con- 
cealment from  Ahab  was  a  prime  object  which  none  of  these  proposed 
amendments  provides  for.     Moreover,  if  human  hands  brought  this 

bread  and  flesh,  why  should  they  have  come  twice  every  day  ? 

We  have  no  occasion  to  miss  the  exquisite  beauty  and  fitness  of  the 
case  as  in  our  version — God  using  the  ravens  to  feed  his  prophet. 


2G6 

What  is  there  between  me  and  thee  that  my  child 
must  die  ?     "  Art  thou  come  unto  me  to  call  my  sin  to 

remembrance  and  to  slay  my  son  ?  " Elijah  took  the 

dead  boy  to  his  own  prophet-chamber  and  laid  him 
upon  his  own  bed.  Then  he  gave  himself  to  prayer — • 
"  Oh  Lord  my  God,  hast  thou  also  brought  evil  upon  the 

widow  wdth  whom  I  sojourn  b}^  slaying  her  son  ?" 

AVe  need  not  construe  the  spirit  of  this  praj^er  as  cap- 
tious, nor  as  inquisitive  for  the  reasons,  nor  further  as 
inquiring  whether  God's  purpose  was  real  death  with  no 
restoration :  Perhaps  it  simply  brought  up  the  case 
before  the  Lord  preparatory  to  the  supplication  which 
he  proceeded  to  make; — "Oh  Lord  God,  I  pray  thee  let 
this  child's  soul  come  into  him  again."  The  Lord  heard 
this  prayer;  the  child  lived  again.  That  the  prophet 
stretched  himself  upon  the  child  three  times  is  said, 
yet  with  no  hint  as  to  the  object  or  the  reason  for  this 
act.  We  must  suppose  the  prophet  did  so  in  obedience 
to  intimations  made  to  him  of  God's  will ;  but  we  ask 

in  vain  for  the  reasons. The  results  of  this  miracle 

were  at  least  these  two ;  (a)  It  convinced  the  mother 
(so  she  said)  that  Elijah  was  a  man  of  God,  and  that  the 
word  of  the  Lord  in  his  mouth  was  God's  truth  ;  and 
(b)  It  gave  Elijah  a  fresh  experience — by  no  means  out 
of  place  at  that  time — that  God  hears  prayer,  and  that 
he  might  depend  on  other  answers  in  his  time  of  need. 

Elijah,  Ahabj  and  Rain. 

The  scenes  of  the  memorable  chap.  IS  (1  Kings)  open 
here.  It  is  a  great  crisis  in  Israel.  The  heaven  shut 
up  to  the  extent  of  neither  dew  or  rain  for  three  and  a 
half  years;  the  fountains  and  streams  dry;  the  cattle 
perishing  with  thirst;  famine  confronting  every  house- 
hold ;  suffering  and  solicitude  every-where. Such  was 

the  state  of  the  nation  when  the  Lord  said  to  Elijah, 
"Go,  show  thyself  to  Ahab;  for  I  will  send  rain  upon 
the  earth."  Ahab,  it  seems,  had  remembered  the  condi- 
tions— "  No  dew  or  rain  these  years  save  according  to  my 
word ; "  so  that  since  the  drought  had  become  a  terrible 
reality,  he  probably  believed  that  he  must  have  Elijah's 
hand  before  he  could  have  rain.  Long  before  this,  there- 
fore, he  had  been  searching  for  the  missing  prophet  far 
and  near.     It  comes  to  light  here  through  Obadiah  that 


ELIJAH,    AHAB,    AND  THE    RAIN.  267 

he  had  not  only  searched  his  own  kingdom  from  end  to 
end,  but  other  kingdoms  and  nations  also,  even  taking 

of  them  their  oath  that  they  could  not  find  him. 

The  head  steward  of  Ahab  (it  so  happened)  was  not 
only  a  trusty  man,  but  one  "  who  feared  the  Lord 
greatly  " — of  which  he  had  given  proof  by  secreting 
and  feeding  100  of  the  Lord's  prophets  by  fifties  in  two 
caves,  at  his  own  expense  and  personal  peril.  The 
occasion  for  this  was  Jezebel's  effort  to  cut  ofi"  all  tho 
Lord's  prophets.  How  many  she  actually  murdered  we 
know  not.  Through  Obadiah  the  Lord  saved  this  100. 
For  them  he  had  work  in  Israel. 

Ahab  and  Obadiah  were  both  out  on  a  common  mis- 
sion, though  in  different  directions,  in  a  desperate  efibrt 
to  find  water  and  herba,2e  somewhere  to  save  their 
horses  and  mules  alive.  While  on  this  mission  Obadiah 
met  Elijah  and  recognized  him.  "Go,"  said  Elijah, 
"tell  thy  master.  Behold,  Elijah  is  here."  Obadiah 
hesitates.  Remembering  what  pains  the  king  has 
taken  for  so  many  months  to  find  Elijah,  and  how 
marvelously  he  had  seemed  to  be  spirited  away,  Oba- 
diah finds  it  hard  to  believe  the  prophet's  word,  and 
fears  he  shall  get  into  personal  trouble  with  Ahab. 
Elijah  is  in  earnest :  "  As  the  Lord  liveth  before  whom 
I  stand,  I  will  surely  show  myself  to  him  to-day."  So 
Obadiah  informs  Ahab,  and  Ahab  meets  Elijah.  The 
words  that  pass  reveal  the  men.  With  strangest  moral 
perverseness  Ahab  would  hold  Elijah  responsible  for 
all  the  mischiefs  of  this  terrible  drought :  "  Art  thou  he 

that  troubleth  Israel  ?  * At  once  fearless  and  true  to 

the  facts,  Elijah  replies  :  "  I  have  not  troubled  Israel ; 
but  thou,  and  thy  father's  house,  in  that  ye  have  for- 
saken the  commandments  of  the  Lord,  and  thou  hast 
followed  Baalim."  Doubtless,  he  made  the  word  "i/iou" 
emphatic,  for  this  would  express  only  the  simple  truth. 
Ahab  had  followed  Baalim  above  all  who  had  gone 
before  him.     He  had  brought  all  this  trouble   upon 

Israel. Both  these  men  were  squarely  outspoken ; 

Ahab  certainly  was  not  restrained  by  any  special  respect 
for  the  man  of  God;  and  Elijah,  how  muchsoever  he 
might  honor  the  king,  as  in  his  duty  bound,  could  not 

*  The  verb  he  used  would  suggest  Aclifin,  to  -whom  it  was  linked  by 
historic  association.  Ahab  charged  Elijah  with  being  to  Israel  a 
second  Achan. 


26S  ELIJAH,    AHAB,   AND   THE    RAIN. 

forget  that  himself  was  the  messenger  of  the  King  of 
kinoes,  and  was  commissioned  just  then  to  confront  this 

guilty  rebel  against  Jehovah. Whether  it  were  due 

to  his  sense  of  truth,  to  the  power  of  his  conscience,  or 
to  something  in  Elijah's  manner  which  he  knew  not 
how  to  meet,  Ahab  made  no  further  reply.  Plainly, 
Elijah  rises  at  once  into  the  place  of  poAver,  and  puts 
things  his  own  way.  With  wonderful  boldness  he  pro- 
ceeds to  give  command:  "Now,  therefore,"  thou  king 
Ahab,  "  send  and  gather  to  me  all  Israel  to  Mt.  Carmel, 
and  the  prophets  of  Baal  450,  and  the  prophets  of 
Asherah  *  400,  who  eat  at  Jezebel's  table. 

Ahab  obeys  this  behest.  Did  he  ask,  what  for? 
There  is  no'  hint  that  he  raised  any  question.  The 
hand  of  the  Lord  in  it  was  a  power  he  could  not  with- 
stand. How  it  happened  that  Jezebel  was  not  there 
does  not  appear.     It  was  enough  that  all  her  prophets 

came. The  place  for  this  great  transaction  was  of 

Elijah's  selection.  Mt.  Carmel  is  a  lofty  mountain 
ridge,  stretching  about  twelve  miles  from  N.  N.  W.  to 
S.  S.  E.,  terminating  at  the  north  in  a  bold  headland 
which  looks  out  upon  the  great  sea ;  and  at  the  south, 
in  a  projecting  point  which,  overlooking  the  plain  of 
Esdraelon  and  the  city  of  Jezreel,  met  all  the  desired 
conditions  of  outlook  and  natural  grandeur  for  transac- 
tions so  sublime  as  these.  Some  point  near  this  south- 
ern extremity  of  the  Carmel  ridge  is  believed  to  have 
been  the  exact  site  of  this  transaction  f — '<^  place  con- 
tiguous to  a  living  fountain,  which  might  supply  the 
water  necessary,  and  where  the  wood  for  the  altar  was 
at  hand. 

In  due  time  the  people  en  masse  were  there,  and  also 
the  prophets  of  Baal  and  Asherah.  Ahab  also  was 
there,  yet  during  most  of  this  day,  Elijah  seems  to 
ignore  his  presence  and  address  himself  only  to  the 
people  and  to  the  idol-prophets; — first  to  the  people, 
in  the  words  as  in  our  version :  "  How  long  halt  ye 
between  two  opinions?"  To  the  word  "halt,"  we 
must  not  give  the  sense — linger  or  pause  as  if  through 
indecision  and  consequent  inability  to   act;  but  pre- 

*  Asherah  (Ilcb.)  was  the  corresponding  female  goddess,  always 
matched  with  Baal. 

tSee  Bib.  Sacra,  Oct.,  1873,  p.  672:  "El  Mohrakah,  or  the  place  of 
Elijah's  Sacrifice." 


ELIJAH,  AHAB,  AND  THE  RAIN.  269 

cisely  that  of  walking,  as  one  with  legs  of  unequal 
length,  swaj^ing  the  body,  therefore,  to  and  fro,  pitch- 
ing now  this  way  and  now  that — in  most  ungraceful, 
not  to  say  painful  or  revolting  motion.  Herein  lies 
the  pungency  of  Elijah's  appeal:  How  long  do  ye 
vacillate  between  these  two  diverse  opinions  as  to  the 
God  ye  will  worship?  How  long  will  ye  swing,  pend- 
ulum-like, from  one  God  to  the  other — now  borne  by 
3'our  nobler  convictions  toward  the  true  God;  anon 
seduced  back  to  Baal  by  your  lusts?  He  appeals  to 
their  sense  of  fitness  and  right :  "  If  the  Lord,  your 
nation's  own  Jehovah,  be  God,  follow  him ;  but  if 
Baal  be  really  the  supreme,  almighty  God,  then  follow 
him." — This  appeal  probably  carried  conviction;  yet 
the  people  answer  him  not  a  word.  It  was  a  moment 
of  crisis.  Elijah  was  equal  to  the  emergency.  The 
people  were  there;  the  work  in  their  souls  is  begun. 
BaaFs  priests  are  there  also — for  some  foreordained 
purpose.  The  great  question  at  issue  is — which  God, 
Jehovah  or  Baal,  shall  have  the  homage  of  all  hearts. 
Elijah  has  put  the  case  upon  its  reasons;  the  people 
have  nothing  to  say  against  his  logic ;  but  still  seem 
to  be  too  feebly  impressed  to  make  a  bold  and  firm 
decision. — The  prophet's  next  step  therefore  is  a  test. 
Let  us  see  who  is  the  true  God.  We  will  invoke  him 
to  reveal  himself  by  fire,  each  upon  his  own  altar. 
The  circumstances  shall  be  such  as  to  preclude  all 
mistake  and  all  deception :  then  the  answer  will  be 
open    to    every   eye,    and    all    may   know   absolutely 

whether  Jehovah  or  Baal  be  the  true  God. The  God 

of  Israel  had  given  this  sort  of  demonstration  more 
than  once  before.  Perhaps  some  of  the  people  might 
remember  to  have  heard  of  the  original  consecration 
of  the  priests,  as  in  Lev.  9  :  23,  24 ;  or  the  case  of 
Gideon  and  the  angel's  staff,  touching  the  offering 
upon  his  altar  (Judg.  6 :  21) ;  or  the  sacrifice  of  David 
at  Araunah's  threshing-floor  (1  Chron.  21 :  26) ;  or  the 
descending  fire  when  Solomon's  pra)^er  consecrated  the 

temple  (2  Chron.  7 :  1). As  to  Baal,  moreover,  since 

he  claimed  to  represent  more  or  less  the  great  powers  of 
nature,  it  was  certainly  not  unreasonable  to  ask  him 
to  send  down  (if  he  would  or  could)  a  flash  of  light- 
ning, and  consume  the  animal  sacrifice  on  his  own  altar. 
The  proposition  of  Elijah  was,  therefore,  obviously  a 


270  ELIJAH,  AHAB,  AND  THE  RAIN. 

fair  one.  The  people  at  once  responded,  ''It  is  well 
spoken  ;  "  (Heb. — that's  a  good  word.) 

Turning  to  the  prophets  of  Baal,  Elijah  said :  Ye  are 
many,  and  I  stand  on  my  side  alone ;  go  on,  therefore, 
first  in  order;  choose  j^our  bullock;  slay,  cut  up,  and 
l^lace  in  order  upon  your  altar,  only  put  no  fire  under; 
and  then  call  upon  your  god  to  answer  by  fire  and  con- 
sume your  sacrifice.     When  you  have  made  your  trial, 

I  will  take  my  turn. They  commenced  operations 

quite  early  in  the  day ;  for,  having  slain  their  bullock, 
dressed  and  placed  it  on  the  altar,  "  they  called  on  the 
name  of  Baal  from  morning  even  until  noon;  O  Baal, 
hear  us."  But  there  was  no  replying  voice ;  no  token 
of  his  having  heard  a  word  of  their  prayer.  As  their 
agony  increased,  they  proceeded — not  to  "  leap  upon  the 
altar"  as  the  English  version  puts  it,  but  to  dance 
around  it— such  "bodily  exercise"  being  in  natural  sym- 
pathy with  their  intense  mental  excitement.  Elijah 
looked  on  quietly  and  patiently  until  noon,  and  then, 
for  the  people's  sake,  began  to  make  suggestions.  If 
these  were  sarcastic,  keen,  taunting,  the  occasion  justi- 
fied him.  The  people  needed  to  see  the  facts  in  this 
strong  light.  "Cry  louder,"  said  Elijah,  "for  Baal  is 
doubtless  a  god,  and  you  will  make  him  hear  by  and 
by;  he  may  be  in  deep  meditation,  engrossed  in  some 
thoughts  of  his  own;  or  he  may  have  retired  to  his 
private  apartment  upon  a  call  of  nature;  or  he  may 
have  a  journey  on  hand;  or  perhaps  just  now  he  may 
be  asleep  and  you  will  have  to  wake  him — so  cry  yet  a 

little  louder  ! And  they  did  cry  a  little  louder;  and 

not  only  so,  they  cut  themselves  with  knives  and  lances 
(the  war-weapon ;  not  the  surgeon's),  drawing  blood 
freely — as  if  to  make  appeal  to  the  sympathy  of  their 
inattentive,  sleepy  god.  So  they  held  on  from  morning 
till  noon,  and  from  noon  till  the  middle  of  the  after- 
noon— the  hour  when  the  evening  sacrifice  began;  but 
there  came  no  voice ;  no  answering  response ;  no  fire ; 
no  sign  of  recognition  from  the  heavens  above  or  from 

the    earth   beneath. Elijah    has   now   waited   long 

enough.  Addressing  himself  to  the  people,  he  cried ; 
"  Come  near  to  me ; "  it  is  my  turn  now.  The  i:)eople 
gathered  about  him.  He  repaired  the  broken  altar  of  Je- 
hovah with  twelve  stones,  reminding  them  of  the  twelve 
tribes  and  ignoring  the  unsanctioned  rending  of  the 


ELIJAH^  AHAB,   AND  THE  RAIN.  271 

kingdom.  He  then  prepared  a  trench  around  the  altar 
for  water;  put  his  wood  in  order  and  his  slain  bullock 
upon  the  wood;  and  then  bade  the  bystanders  bring  on 
water.  Again  and  again,  even  to  the  third  time  they 
brought  their  vessels  (not  "barrels,"  but  more  nearly 
buckets)  full  of  water  till  the  whole  altar,  wood  and 
bullock,  were  saturated,  and  the  very  trench  around 
was  more  than  full.  There  must  be  no  room  for  sus- 
picion of  concealed  fire  beneath. Now  is  the   time 

for  prayer — one  short  but  fervent  prayer :  "  Lord  God 
of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  let  it  be  known  this  day 
that  thou  art  God  in  Israel,  and  that  I  am  thy  servant, 
and  that  I  have  done  all  these  things  at  thy  word. 
Hear  me,  0  Lord,  hear  me  that  this  people  may  know 
that  thou  art  the  Lord  God,  and  that  thou  art  turning 
their  heart  back  to  thyself  again."  There  was  no  need 
of  vain  repetition ;  the  prayer  w^as  heard.  All  suddenly 
the  fire  of  the  Lord  fell.  In  the  sight  of  all  those  gath- 
ered thousands  it  gleamed  down  from  on  high ;  it  "con- 
sumed the  sacrifice  and  the  wood,  and  the  stones"  of 
which  the  altar  was  built,  "and  the  dust"  (the  earth 
which  occupied  the  center),  "  and  licked  up  the  water 
which  filled  the  trench."  When  the  people  saw  this 
they  could  be  silent  no  longer,  but  fell  on  their  faces 
and  cried  aloud :  "Jehovah,  he  is  the  God ;  Jehovah,  he 
is  the  God." 

It  was  a  thrilling  scene.  The  impulses  of  such  a 
moment  must  not  be  lost.  Elijah  cried  aloud  in  tones 
of  command :  "  Seize  the  prophets  of  Baal ;  let  not  a 
man  of  them  escape.  By  the  law  of  God  they  must  be 
slain."  Elijah  brought  them  (so  is  the  record)  down  to 
the  brook  Kishon  which  flows  out  of  the  valley  of  Es- 
draelon  to  the  great  sea,  past  the  high  peak  of  Carmel 
where  they  were,  and  slew  them  there.  The  overawed 
people  are  ready  for  this  measure  as  one  of  the  natural 
and  righteous  results  of  the  great  decision  that  Baal  is 
not  God  and  that  Jehovah  is ;  so  they  doubtless  aided 
in  this  slaughter  of  Baal's  jDriests.  What  Ahab  thought 
of  it  the  record  saith  not.  He  either  had  no  heart  or 
no  power  to  resist. 

At  this  point  Ahab  appears  in  the  narrative.  "  Elijah 
said  to  Ahal),  Get  thee  up  (L  e.,  from  the  brook  Kishon 
where  BaaFs  priests  were  slain)  to  the  top  of  Carmel 
where  thy  supper  is  in  waiting;  eat  and  drink  with 


272  ELIJAH,  AHAB,  AND  THE  RAIN. 

glad  heart,  "  for  there  is  a  sound  of  abundance  of  rain." 
Either  Ahab  had  not  much  hiid  to  heart  in  sorrow  the 
slaughter  of  Jezebel's  priests,  or  he  felt  the  spell  of 
Elijah's  power,  or  his  other  excitements  gave  place  to 
joy  as  he  heard  of  the  coming  rain — for  he  was  ready 
for  his  refreshment  and  "  went  up  to  eat  and  to  drink." 

Elijah  had  other  responsibilities.     As  the  rain  had 

been  withheld  three  and  a  half  years  in  answer  to  his 
prayer,  so  it  was  to  come  again  at  length  through 
prayer.  Elijah  with  only  his  servant  went  up  to  "  the 
top  of  Carmel."  There  he  "cast  himself  upon  the  earth 
and  put  his  face  between  his  knees" — his  chosen  atti- 
tude for  this  great  struggle  of  prayer.  Go,  said  he  to 
his  servant,  and  look  toward  the  sea ;  watch  for  the  first 
gathering  cloud.  He  goes,  but  soon  returns — there  is 
nothing.  Go  again — the  prophet  meantime  praying 
and  waiting,  and  the  servant  going  and  returning,  with 
the  same  result  till  the  seventh  time.  Then  he  brought 
back  the  thrilling  word :  "  Behold,  there  riseth  a  little 
cloud  out  of  the  sea,  like  a  man's  hand."  Instantly 
Elijah  understood  it ; — "  Go,  tell  Ahab  ; "  '^  Prepare  thy 
chariot ;  descend  from  this  mountain  that  the  rain  stop 
thee  not."  The  heavens  are  black  with  clouds  and 
wind ;  the  mighty  rain  breaks  forth  from  those  surging 
clouds  in  torrents.  Ahab's  chariot  drove  swiftly  toward 
his  palace  in  Jezreel,  sixteen  miles  distant.  Elijah 
girded  up  his  loins,  and  happy  to  serve  as  footman 
for  his  king  ran  with  the  agility  of  a  trained  moun- 
taineer before  this  flying  chariot  to  the  very  entrance 
of  Jezreel.  It  is  not  said  that  he  went  into  the  city ; 
the  presumption  is  that  he  did  not.  After  a  long  day 
of  such  intense  excitement  and  exhaustive  labor  did  he 
not  need  retirement,  food,  and  rest  ? 

What  was  the  out-come  of  this  momentous  day — of 
these  demonstrations  that  Jehovah  is  the  God;  of  this 
breaking  down  of  Baal-power;  of  this  slaughter  of  Baal's 

priests ;  and,  to  crown  all,  of  this  glorious  rain  ? Let 

us  follow  Elijah  yet  a  little  further,  and  then  return  to 
consider  more  fully  the  results  that  came  of  that  day, 
and  also  the  results  that  seemed  hopeful  and  possible, 
but  yet  failed  of  realization. 

There  were  a  great  many  vacant  scats  at  Jezebel's 
supper  table  that  evening.  Can  Ahab  give  any  account 
of  their  absence  to  his  inquiring,  perhaps  anxious  Jeze- 


ELIJAH  IN  HOREB.  273 

bel  ?  "  He  told  her  all  that  Elijah  had  done  "—all  about 
the  test  by  fire — the  astounding  decision  in  favor  of 
Jehovah  against  Baal;  and  "withal  how  he  had  slain 

all  the  prophets  of  Baal  with  the  sword." Was  Jezebel 

appalled  ?  Not  for  a  moment.  But  her  wrath  kindled 
into  fury.  Too  much  excited  to  lay  plans  for  his  arrest, 
or  possibly  thinking  it  wiser  to  frighten  him  from  the 
country,  she  sent  a  messenger  to  Elijah  to  say — "  So  let 
the  gods  do  to  me  and  more  also,  if  I  make  not  thy  life 

as  the  life  of  one  of  them  by  this  hour  to-morrow." 

We  must  take  the  record  as  we  find  it,  hard  as  it  may 
be  to  account  for  the  statement.  Elijah  was  afraid  of 
Jezebel,  and  fled  for  his  life.  The  man  who  but  yester- 
day seemed  as  one  who  never  had  a  fear — facing  850 
Baal-men;  commanding  and  aiding  to  execute  their 
wholesale  slaughter;  standing  alone  for  God  before  his 
idol-worshiping  king  and  the  assembled  thousands  of 
Israel ;  so  near  to  God  moreover  in  heart  and  in  faith 
and  so  prevalent  in  prayer — ah,  but  what  of  him  now  ? 

"He   saw"   [the   various    reading   has  it,  he  was 

afraid]  ;  he  fled  for  his  life,  alone  save  his  one  servant ; 
he  stayed  not  his  flight  till  he  reached  Beersheba,  on 
the  extreme  southern  border  of  Judah,  estimated  to 
be  ninety-five  miles  from  Jezreel.  There  he  left  his 
servant  (who  perhaps  was  unable  to  go  further), 
but  pushed  on  himself  yet  one  whole  day's  journey 
into  the  wilderness — so  far  before  he  felt  himself  safe 
from  the  wrath  of  Jezebel.  Here  "  he  sat  down  under 
a  juniper  tree "  *  and  begged  that  he  might  die  !  f 
Alas,  the  flesh  is  weak ;  he  is  utterly  exhausted.  Was 
human  endurance  ever  tasked  more  fearfully?  After 
such  a  day  on  Mt.  Carmel,  such  a  foot  race  to  Jezreel, 
and  such  a  flight  for  life;  breadless,  sleepless,  two  or 
three  daj^s  and  nights  at  least — no  wonder  his  spirits 
sink  within  him ;  no  wonder  he  feels  that  it  would  be 

sweet  to  die  ! God's  "  kind  restorer,  balmy  sleep," 

came  to  his  relief;  and  yet,  more,  after  he  had  slept, 
we  know  not  how  long,  the  Lord  sent  his  angel  to 
touch  him,  and  call  him  up  to  eat.     Lo,  this  angel  had 

*  Understood  to  be  a  species  of  broom,  common  in  the  deserts  of 
Arabia,  of  size  sufficient  to  aiford  agreeable  shade. 

t  Was  it  not  a  wonderful  case  of  forgiving  mercy  that  God  not 
only  passed  over  this  impatient  outcry,  but  exempted  him  from  ever 
dying! 


274  ELIJAH   IN   nOREB. 

placed  at  his  pillow  there  in  the  wilderness  a  traveler's 
cake  already  baked,  and  a  cruse  of  water.  The  prophet 
ate  and  drank,  and  lay  down  again  to  sleep.  Again,  the 
angel  waked  him  to  a' second  meal— wonderfully  sympa- 
thetic and  appreciative— "  because  the  journey  is  too 
much  for  thee."  Now,  somewhat  rested  and  refreshed, 
he  traveled  on  forty  days  and  nights,  sustained  by  that 
great  hand  Divine  to  Mt.  Horeb.  There  he  turned 
into  a  cave  for  his  home  and  place  of  rest.  Here  the 
first  word  of  gentle  rebuke  came  to  him  : — "  What  doest 
thou  here,  Elijah  ?  "  Who  sent  thee  here,  and  on  what 
errand  ?  Is  this  the  place  to  fight  the  battle  for  truth 
and  for  Israel's  God  against  Baal,  and  against  apostate 

Ahab  and  his  seducer  Jezebel  ? Remarkably  Elijah's 

answer  gives  mostly  the  dark  side  and  not  the  bright : 
one  set  of  facts,  and  not  the  other.  "  I  have  been  very 
jealous  for  the  Lord  of  Hosts  "  (so  far,  true) ;  "  for  the 
children  of  Israel  have  forsaken  thy  covenant— [but 
they  had  with  one  loud  voice  declared  for  Jehovah — "  he 
is  the  God"];  ''they  have  thrown  down  thine  altars, 
and  slain  thy  prophets  with  the  sword  "  [yet  Obadiah 
had  secreted  and  saved  a  full  hundred] — "and  I,  even 
I  only,  am  left,  and  they  seek  my  life  to  take  it  away." 
He  did  not  mention  that  Baal's  prophets  were  all  cut 
off  too,  not  one  of  them  being  left ;  nor  that,  through 
the  good  hand  of  the  Lord  upon  him,  he  had  seen  the 
Lord  answering  by  fire  and  mightily  convincing  the 
assembled  thousands  of  Israel  that  Jehovah  and  not 
Baal  is  the  Supreme  God,  and  compelling  their  unani- 
mous consent.  These  great  facts  so  grand,  and,  withal, 
so  recent,  Elijah  fails  to  mention.  There  are  depressed 
moods  of  mind  that  have  a  natural  sympathy  with  the 
darker  side  of  things,  and  this  law  of  ^  human  frailty 

the  Lord  is  not  wont  to  ignore. In  this  case  he  comes 

yet  nearer  to  his  servant  for  a  more  full  and  impressive 
inanifestation.  "  Go  forth,"  said  he, ''  and  stand  upon  tho 
mount  before  the  Lord."  We  read—"  Behold,  the  Lord 
pa.ssed  by,  and  a  great  and  strong  wind  rent  the  moun- 
tain, and  brake  in  pieces  the  rocks  before  the  Lord;  but 
the  Lord  was  not  in  the  wind;  and  after  the  wind  an 
earthquake  ;  but  the  Lord  was  not  in  the  earthquake ; 
and  after  the  earthquake  a  fire;  but  the  Lord  was  not 
in  the  fire  ;  and  after  the  fire  a  still  small  voice,"  (Heb. 
a  voice  of  whispering  stillness).     "  And  it  was  so  that 


ELIJAH   IN    HOREB.  275 

when  Elijah  heard  this,  he  wrapped  his  face  in  his 
mantle"  (conscious  that  God  was,  indeed,  there),  "and 
went  out  and  stood  at  the  entrance  of  the  cave."  Then 
the  same  word  as  before  came  to  him  again :  "  What 
doest  thou  here,  Elijah  ?  "  To  which  he  gave  the  same 
answer. ^That  God  came  in  these  gentlest  manifesta- 
tions— not  in  those  most  appalling — is  due,  we  may 
assume,  to  the  tenderness  of  his  sympathy  and  pity  for 
human  infirmity.  Elijah  must  be  rebuked,  yet  there 
were  redeeming  features,  and  circumstances  of  apologetic 
bearing,  such  as  the  Lord  never  ignores. It  is,  more- 
over, supposable,  and  by  no  means  improbable,  that  the 
Lord  intended  a  still  further  significance  in  the  gentle 
voice,  contrasted  with  the  tempest,  the  earthquake,  and 
the  fire;  viz.,  to  suggest  to  his  prophet  the  higher 
modes  of  spiritual  power.  Perhaps,  Elijah  estimated 
above  its  relative  value  the  influence  of  judgment, 
fiery  zeal,  blood,  and  carnage;  and  had  yet  to  learn 
that  God's  gentler  ways  reach  men's  hearts  to  better 
purpose — as  rocks  are  better  melted  than  shattered  to 
fragments. 

We  have  now  before  us  the  staple  facts  of  Elijah's 
experience  and  life  from  Carmel  to  Horeb.  We  ought 
not  to  pass  them  without  patient  reflection. 

That  day  on  Carmel— the  sun  has  risen  and  set  on 
few  like  it.  I  do  not  care  to  call  special  attention  to 
the  external  grandeur  and  sublimity  of  those  transac- 
tions; nor  to  the  religious  heroism  of  God's  one  only 
prophet ;  nor  to  the  masterly  powers  of  mind  wielded 
under  God  by  this  one  man  over  almost  a  thousand  of 
"Baal's  men,  and  over  the  many  thousands  of  assembled 
Israelites ; — but  I  call  attention  to  the  scenes  of  Carmel 
as  being  siqiremely  anspicious  for  a  grand  moral  and  relig- 
ious reformation.     What   external  circumstances  could 

ever  be  more  so? (1)  Note   that   most   impressive 

demonstration  of  the  true  God  made  by  descending  fire 
upon  the  altar.  Think  how  it  impressed  those  admir- 
ing thousands!  Was  not  that  a  good  beginning  toward 
a  radical  change  in  their  allegiance  from  Baal  to  Jeho- 
vah ? (2)   Scarcely  less   propitious  and  impressive 

w^as  the  second  great  demonstration  of  a  present  God — 
that  by  water — by  that  mighty,  glorious  rain.  Espe- 
cially was  this  of  priceless  value,  because  it  came  in 
answer  to  prayer.     It   lifted  up  its  witnessing  voice 


27G   REVIEW  OF  THE  SCENES  ON  CARMEL  AND  IIOREB. 

before  the  nation,  testifying  that  God  hears  and 
answers  prayer.  Usually  God's  judgments  upon  Israel 
had  been  removed  only  on  condition  of  their  national 
repentance  and  of  their  uplifted  cry  for  mercy.  Here 
the  people  had  professed  their  acceptance  of  Jehovah 
as  their  God.  It  seems  to  have  been  upon  the  basis  of 
this  acknowledgment  that  God  returned  to  them  in  this 

great   mercy  of  rain. The  rain  was,  moreover,  so 

great  a  mercy,  it  could  scarcely  fail  to  put  their  hearts 
into  a  favorable  attitude  for  moral  and  religious  impres- 
sion.  (3)  To  these   elements   of  general    influence 

must  be  added  whatever  had  been  gained  upon  the 
heart  of  Ahab — an  amount  which  (had  Jezebel  been 
out  of  the  account)  might  have  been  ver}^  considerable  : 

and  (4)  The  positive  gain  secured  by  the  sudden 

removal  of  every  Baal-prophet  from  the  land. 

AVas  not  this,  therefore,  a  grand  opportunity  for  push- 
ing a  general  and  radical  reform  throughout  the  Northern 
kingdom  ?  How  shall  we  adjust  ourselves  to  the  disap- 
pointment as  we  see  this  sublimely  grand  opportunity 
mostly  lost  ?  A  work  so  great  and  so  hopeful — begun  so 
auspiciously — what  shall  we  say  when  we  see  it  suddenly 
arrested  and  find  it  hard  to  discern  even  so  much  as 

dim  traces  of  resulting  good? Were  not  the  people 

expecting  that  Elijah  would  be  their  great  leader  in 
the  re-establishment  of  Jehovah's  worship  and  the  utter 
expulsion  of  Baal-worship  from  the  land?  And  how 
could  they  be  expected  to  declare  every-where  for  Jeho- 
vah and  against  Baal  in  the  face  of  Jezebel's  fury  when 
even  Elijah  had  fled  before  her  threats  and  nobody 
knew  whither  he  had  gone  ? 

It  will  not  be  wholesome  to  pass  judgment  severely 
upon  the  course  of  Elijah  on  the  days  next  after  Carmel; 

but  we  may  suggest : What  if,  on  hearing  the  threat 

of  angry  Jezebel,  he  had  lifted  up  his  prayer  to  God — 
"  What  wilt  thou  have  me  do?  How  shall  I  sustain  and 
carry  on  to  final  triumph  the  great  work  which  thine 
own  strong  hand  but  yesterday  began?" — What  if  he 
had  said  with  Nehemiah — "  Shall  such  a  man  as  I  flee  ?  " 
What  if  he  had  given  himself  anew  to  the  Lord  his 
God,  saying — Here  is  my  life,  if  thou  dost  call  for  the 
sacrifice  ;  or  if  it  please  thee,  let  the  life  of  Jezebel,  like 
the  lives  of  her  prophets,  be  taken  out  of  the  way  and 
thy  work  go  on,  no  such  adversaries  opposing. 


MO.RAL    LESSONS    FROM    ELIJAH'S   HLSTORY.  277 

It  is  not  permitted  us  to  go  back  into  the  eternal 
counsels  of  God  and  ask— Why  did  he  permit  such  a 
failure  in  a  work  so  dear  to  his  heart  and  so  auspiciously- 
begun?  Why  did  he  let  Elijah  lose  heart  so  sadly,  and 
place  such  a  contrast  before  the  world  between  the  sub- 
lime heroism  of  one  day  and  the  (apparently)  inglorious 
flight  of  the  next? We  will  not  attempt  to  push  ques- 
tions of  this  sort.  Let  us  rather  suggest  that  this  is  one 
of  the  sad  experiences  to  which  the  Lord's  cause  has  been 
subjected  all  down  the  ages — viz.,  set  back  (as  men  view 
things)  by  the  human  infirmity  of  his  servants.  It  is 
humiliating,  and  perhaps  should  teach  us  to  beware  of 
too  much  confidence  in  great  men. 

Again,  let  it  be  suggested  as  at  least  supposable  that 
magnificent  success,  close  on  the  heel  of  those  scenes 
of  Carmel,  and  coming  apparently  as  their  result, 
would  have  witnessed  that  God  was  in  the  tempest, 
the  earthquake,  and  the  fire,  rather  than  in  the  still, 
small  voice ;  and  so  might  have  tended  to  misrepre- 
sent Jehovah's  spiritual  power.  True,  the  time  had 
not  come  to  bring  forth  before  the  world  the  peculiar 
power  of  tenderness,  and  tears,  and  pitying  love ;  but 
the  Lord  might  have  deemed  it  unwise  to  accumulate 
testimonies  and  illustrations  of  an  entirely  difierent, 
not  to  say  opposite,  character  and  bearing. 

Let  it  be  suggested  also,  that  such  a  case  as  this 
affords  a  very  special  lesson  on  prayer,  teaching  not 
merely  that  God  hears  prayer ;  not  merely  that,  despite 
of  the  so-called  "scientific"  objections,  he  can  hear 
prayer  about  rain — to  the  extent  of  arresting  the 
entire  rain-fall  in  Israel  for  three  and  a  half  years,  and 
then  bringing  it  down  in  torrents,  in  answer  to  one 
man's  prayer,  but  specially  this  lesson — that  this 
praying  prophet  was  "a  man  subject  to  like  passions  as 
ice  are^  The  case  as  here  put  before  us  is  a  touching 
comment  on  this  very  practical  point.  *'0f  like  pas- 
sions as  we."  Not  a  man  lifted  above  the  infirmities  of 
human  flesh ;  not  a  man  of  nervous  organism  equal 
to  unlimited  endurance,  but  perhaps  rather  specially 
subject  to  terrible  depression  after  the  exhaustive 
strain  of  immense  and  protracted  excitement ; — a  man 
who,  after  having  his  prayers  answered  so  wonderfully 
one  day,  seems  to  have  almost  forgotten,  the  next  day, 
to  lift  up  the  simplest  of  all  prayer — Lord,  teach  me 


278  MORAL   LESSONS   FROM  ELIJAIl's   HISTORY. 

how  to  order  mj-self  in  this  emergency. Well,   it 

was  surely  very  gracious  in  our  Heavenly  Father  to 
give  us  such  a  lesson,  showing  that  he  can  hear  the 
prayers  of  men  of  like  passions  with  ourselves,  and 
can  hear  us,  although  compassed  about  with  manifold 
infirmities. 

I  suggest  only  one  point  more  in  quite  another 
line  of  thought.  This  history  may  well  astound  us 
with  its  illustrations  of  the  terrible  influence  of  one 
had  ivoman.  What  Satanic  energy  of  will!  What  bold 
ingenuity !  What  seductive  power  over  her  husband 
toward  wickedness!  We  might  have  supposed  that  no 
mind  less  mighty  than  Satan's  could  throw  itself  into 
the  face  of  such  a  movement  as  that  inaugurated  on 
Mt.  Carmel  and  block  it  utterly ; — but  apparently 
Jezebel  was  equal  to  it — and  did  it!  May  the  Lord 
spare  the  world  from  other  such ! 

Resuming  the  history  of  Elijah,  we  note  that  the 
Lord  had  more  service  for  him  yet ;  viz.,  to  go  back  to 
the  upper  Jordan  valley — a  district  somewhat  remote 
from  Jezebel's  home ;  and  in  due  time  call  into  the 
Lord's  service  Hazael  to  be  king  of  S^n-ia ;  Jehu  to  be 
king  of  Israel — both  to  serve  as  executioners  of  his 
judgments  on  Ahab  and  his  kingdom ;  and  also,  Elisha, 
to  be  his  associate  and  successor,  a  prophet  in  Elijah's 
room.  Subsequent  history  shows  that  these  words  said 
to  Elijah  were  rather  a  general  outline  of  the  divine 
policy  than  a  specific  programme  for  his  own  work,  for 
the  anointing  of  Jehu  took  place  some  time  after  his 
translation,  and  was  done  under  Elisha's  direction  by 
an  unnamed  "  son  of  the  prophets ; "  and  there  is  no  in- 
timation that  Elijah  went  in  person  to  anoint  Hazael. 
It  only  appears  (2  Kings  8:  7-15)  that  Elisha,  some 
time  after  Elijah's  translation,  said  to  Hazael :  "  I  know 
the  evil  that  thou  wilt  do  to  the  children  of  Israel,"  etc. 

Elijah   did  call   Elisha   personally,  as   we  read  1 

Kings  19 :  19-21 — a  scene  which  suggests  the  manner 
in  which  our  divine  Lord  often  called  his  disciples 
suddenly  away  from  their  fishing  nets  or  from  their 
custom-house  office;  and  yet  this  call  is  singularly  col- 
ored with  those  shadings  of  wuld  Arab  life  which  rarely 

fail  to  appear  in  Elijah  the  Tishbitc. At  Abel-Meho- 

lah — some  x^h'^ce  in  the  Jordan  valley  (not  at  present 
identified)  he  found  Elisha  plowing,  in  care  of  twelve 


HISTORY  OF  AHAB.  279 

teams  and  plows — himself  with  the  twelfth — a  farmer 
of  very  considerable  responsibilities  and  probably  of 
wealth.  As  he  passed  along  he  threw  his  mantle  over 
him  and  silently  went  on.  A  few  moment's  reflection 
suggested  to  Elisha  the  import  of  this  mantle-call ;  so 
he  left  his  oxen  in  the  furrow  and  ran  to  overtake  Eli- 
jah, crying  out :  Grant  me  time  to  go  home  and  give 
my  farewell  kiss  to  my  aged  father  and  mother.  Then 
I  will  follow  thee.     "  Go  back,"  said  Elijah,  "  for  what 

have  I  done  to  thee  ?  " This  seems  rather  curt,  with 

an  undertone  of  rebuke,  as  if  he  would  say :  "  If  thou 
art  not  ready  to  forsake  father  and  mother  to  follow  me, 
I  have  no  service  for  thee :  do  as  you  like."  The 
thing  Elisha  actually  did  may  have  been  a  kind  of 
compromise  between  his  first  thought  and  Elijah's  de- 
mand. He  seems  to  have  omitted  the  going  home  for 
the  farewell  kiss  to  father  and  mother  whom  he  might 
never  see  again ;  but  he  made  a  sort  of  farewell  sacri- 
fice to  his  farm  and  to  his  workmen.  His  own  yoke 
of  oxen  are  slaughtered  and  boiled — his  yoke  and  plow 
being  the  fuel.  This  is  the  end  of  his  personal  farming 
— this  farewell  feast  to  his  laborers.  This  done,  he 
follows  Elijah  as  his  servant. 

To  encourage  Elijah — perhaps  to  rebuke  his  dark- 
sided  view  of  things — the  Lord  said  to  him :  Thou  art 
not  by  any  means  the  only  man  in  Israel  who  remains 
true  to  Jehovah  and  against  Baal;  for  I  have  seven 
thousand  men  yet  left  me  of  whom  not  a  knee  has  ever 
bowed  to  Baal,  nor  has  a  tongue  kissed  him.  Elijah 
needed  some  inspirations  of  hope  and  of  numbers,  and 
God  kindly  gave  them.  The  time  had  come,  moreover, 
when  a  true-hearted  and  sympathizing  companion  and 
servant — such  as  Elisha  became — of  younger  blood,  and 
perhaps  of  steadier  nerve,  might  be  at  once  a  comfort 
and  a  help;  so  the  Lord  provided  him. 

The  History  of  Ahah  Resumed  and  Concluded. 

Three  chapters  remain  in  1  Kings  (20-22)  in  all  which 
the  leading  thread  runs  on  the  line  of  Ahab's  life.  The 
prophets  of  God  appear  in  every  important  transaction, 
3^et  not  the  same  prophet,  for  the  Lord  had  several  in 

his    service,   and   work   for   all. Chap.   20  narrates 

various  war-scenes  between   Ahab  and  Ben-hadad  of 


280  HISTORY  OF  AHAB. 

Syria  in  which  a  prophet  appears  in  v.  13;  the  same 
one  reappears  in  v.  22,  recognized  here  as  "^/ie  prophet" 
(the  article  of  renewed  mention) ;  but  in  v.  28  there 
appears  another  prophet,  as  we  may  infer  from  his 
different  designation — "there  came  a  man  of  God;" 
and  from  his  different  geographical  locality,  this  being 

east  of  the  Jordan. Again,  in  v.  35,  we  find  yet 

another  description  :  "  A  certain  man  of  the  sons  of  the 
prophets  " — who  is  probably  yet  another  and  a  third 
prophet  appearing  in  the  scenes  of  this  one  chapter. 

In  the  scenes  of  chap.  21  (of  Ahab  and  Naboth) 

Elijah  bears  God's  message  to  the  guilty  king ;  while 
in  chap.  22 — the  history  of  Ahab  and  Jehoshaphat  going 
in  alliance  against  Ramoth-gilead  and  the  Syrians — the 
Lord's  messages  are  given  through  Micaiah,  son  of 
Imlah. 

In  the  history  in  chap.  20,  Ben-hadad,  king  of  Syria, 
besieged  Samaria  with  an  immense  armament.  Hav- 
ing reached  a  point  where  he  felt  sure  of  the  city,  he 
sent  messengers  to  Ahab  to  say — all  your  treasures,  all 
your  wives  and  children,  are  mine.  It  was  understood 
on  both  sides  that  the  surrender  of  these  was  the  con- 
dition proposed  by  Ben-hadad  himself  for  sparing  the 
city  and  going  home.  Though  these  conditions  were 
hard,  Ahab  accepted  them.  But  this  concession  came 
so  easily,  it  encouraged  Ben-hadad  to  make  a  larger 
grab,  and  withal  to  satisfy  the  grasping  spirit  of  his 
servants,  and,  moreover,  to  make  the  terms  j^et  more 
humiliating.  So  he  sent  messengers  again  to  say — 
although  I  made  thee  a  proposition  so  and  so,  yet  I 
want  more.  "  I  will  send  my  servants  to  thee,  and 
they  shall  search  thy  house,  and  the  houses  of  thy  serv- 
ants ;  and  it  shall  be  that  whatsoever  is  pleasant  in  thine 
[their]  eyes,  they  shall  put  it  in  their  hand,  and  take 
it  away."  No  wonder  this  roused  Ahab's  indignation. 
He  brought  the  case  before  the  elders  and  people,  and 
they  indignantly  said.  No/  Ahab  replied  to  Ben-hadad, 
No,  and  received  in  return  the  hardest  sort  of  threaten- 
ing. Ahab  answered  with  one  of  the  wisest  sayings 
of  his  on  record :  — "  Tell  him,  Let  not  him  that 
girdeth    on    his    harness,   boast    himself   as   he    that 

putteth  it  off." Ben-hadad  said  to  himself,  We  shall 

see,  and  to  his  officers,  then  carousing  with  him  over 
his  wine,  "Up   and  make  ready" — to  storm  the  city. 


HISTORY   OF    AIIAB.  281 

Just  ill  that  critical  juncture  there  came  a  prophet 

of  the  Lord  to  Ahab  with  a  message  which  ought  to 
have  been  thrice  welcome: — "Hast  thou  seen  all  this 
great  multitude?  Behold,  I  will  deliver  it  into  thy 
hand  this  day ;  and  thou   shalt   know  that  I  am  the 

Lord." Surel}^,  this  was  mercy— help,  unasked,  and 

undeserved,  but  in  his  deepest  need.  Ahab  very 
sensibly  inquired,  "  By  whom "  wilt  thou  send  this 
deliverance  ?  To  which  the  Lord  answers — "  By  the 
3'oung  men  of  the  princes  of  the  provinces,"  i.  e.,  by  the 
servants,  attending  the  governors  of  adjacent  districts 
or  principalities  who  seem  to  have  fled  to  Samaria 
before  these  invading  Syrian  hosts.  In  the  line  of 
war-power,  these  young  men  w^ere  neither  numer- 
ous nor  formidable.  It  was  found  they  numbered,  all 
told,  232 — less  than  the  reduced  band  led  on  by 
Gideon. 

Besides  these,  the  children  of  Israel  mustered  for 
active  service  7,000.  Ahab  asked  a  second  question — 
Who  shall  order  the  battle?  and  God  answered.  Thou. 

They  made  the  sally  out  from  Samaria  at  noon — 

Ben-hadad's  dinner  hour — he  and  his  thirty  captains 
drinking  themselves  drunk  in  their  royal  tent.  These 
young  men  (232)  took  the  front.  AVhen  it  w^as  reported 
to  Ben-hadad  that  a  squad  of  men  were  seen  coming 
out  of  Samaria,  he  simply  replied,  "Whether  they 
come  out  for  peace  or  for  war,  take  them  alive."  But 
they  were  in  for  deadly  fight;  they  slew  every  one  his 
man ;  the  Syrians  fled ;  Israel  pursued,  and  "  slew  the 
Sj'rians  with  great  slaughter."  Samaria  was  free ;  the 
Syrians  scattered  and  fled  to  their  homes.  Ben-hadad 
hardly  escaped  on  a  horse  with  the  horsemen. 

The  same  prophet  then  warned  Ahab  to  make  his 
position  strong,  for  this  enemy  would  come  back  at  the 
same  time  next  year.  The  historian  put  on  record  the 
reasonings  of  the  defeated  Syrians  as  they  con  over  the 
causes  of  their  failure,  and  their  new  schemes  for 
future  success — thus :  The  gods  of  that  people  are  gods 
of  the  hills ;  therefore,  they  beat  us  on  the  hills ;  we  can 
beat  them  on  the  plains.  Another  change  also  we  will 
make  :  discharge,  those  thirty-two  kings — (they  dont 
fight  well) — and  put  military  captains — men  trained 
for  war,  in  their  stead.  Then  muster  another  army  of 
the  same  number,  man  for  man,  horse  for  horse,  and 
13 


282  HISTORY    OF   AHAB. 

chariot  for  chariot;  so  we  shall  have  the  victory. 

The  children  of  Israel  drawn  up  against  them  seemed 
(says  the  historian)  like  two  little  flocks  of  kids,  while 
the  Syrians  filled  the  country — an  immense  host,  for, 
according  to  the  figures  given  in  the  sequel,  127,000 
men  never  returned  to  their  homes.  A  few  thousand 
should  he  added  to  this  number  for  those  who  did. 

Their  proud  reasonings  about  the  weakness  of  Israel's 
God  on  tlie  plains  proved  the  salvation  of  Israel.  To 
vindicate  his  own  glorious  name  and  his  power  inarms, 
which  must  not  be  reproached  with  impunity,  the  Lord 
interposed  and  went  down  himself  into  this  fight.  A 
new  prophet  came  and  said  to  Ahab — "Because  the 
Syrians  have  said,  Jehovah  is  the  God  of  the  hills  but 
not  of  the  valleys,  I  will  deliver  all  this  host  into  thy 

hands,  and  ye  shall  know   that  I  am  the  Lord." 

Seven  days  in  succession  these  armies— the  great  one 
and  the  little — faced  and  menaced  each  other.  (Did 
Ahab's  fViith  hold  out?  Why  this  delay  to  join  issue? 
On  these  points  the  record  is  silent).  On  the  seventh 
day  the  battle  was  joined,  and  "Israel  slew  of  the 
Syrians  100,000  footmen  in  one  day."  The  rest  fled  to 
Aphek,  in  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  at  the  southern  base 
of  Little  Hermon.  There  the  city  wall  fell  upon  27,000 
men,  to  their  death.  Ben-hadad  fled  into  the  city  and 
secreted  himself  in  a  private  chamber. 

In  the  ensuing  negotiations  Ben-hadad  proved  him- 
self adroit  and  Ahab  unaccountably  weak-minded  and 
vain.  He  seems  to  have  had  no  conception  of  the 
danoferous  qualities  of  his  great  national  adversary. 
Perhaps  he  felt  flattered  by  the  proposed  alliance  with 
such  a  king.  The  Lord  rebuked  this  folly;  "Because 
thou  hast  let  go  out  of  thine  hand  a  man  whom  I  had 
appointed  to  utter  destruction,  therefore  thy  life  shall 
go  for  his  life,  and  thy  people  for  his  people"  (1  Kings 
20:  42).  The  event  fulfilled  this  word;  Ahab  fell  before 
the  Syrians  in  battle,  and  his  nation  was  scourged  fear- 
fully  by   that  formidable   power. From  this   great 

victorv  and  God's  disapproval  of  his  treaty  policy,  Ahab 
went  "home  to  his  capital  heavy  and  displeased— not 
quite  happy  with  himself,  and  very  far  from  being 
happy  in  God.  The  fatal  lack  in  his  character  was— 
no  harmony  of  will  with  Jehovah;  no  living  faith;  no 
sincere  prayer  for  divine  guidance.     How  abundantly 


AIIAB,  JEZEBEL  AND  NABOTII.  283 

God  would  have  blessed  him  if  only  he  had  been  in  a 
state  fit  to  be  blessed  ? 

Ahah,  Jczchel,  and  Kaboth. 

In  1  Kings  21  we  have  the  story  in  which  these  three 
were  the  prominent  actors.  Naboth  had  inherited  a 
vineyard  in  Jezreel.  Ahab  built  his  palace  quite  near. 
Fixing  his  eye  on  this  vineyard,  he  said,  That  would 
be  nice  for  a  vegetable  garden,  and  I  want  it.  With  a 
sense  of  justice  that  does  him  honor  he  said  to  Naboth : 
Your  vineyard  plat  is  exceedingly  convenient  for  my 
use ;  I  will  give  you  a  better  vineyard  for  it ;  or  I  will 
pay  its  value  in  money.  Naboth  replied :  God  forbid 
that  I  should  alienate  the  inheritance  of  mv  fathers. 
For  long  succeeding  generations  my  father  s  fathers 
have  held  it ;  by  the  law  of  Moses  it  must  go  down  to 

my   children's   children:    no   money   can   buy  it. 

Ahab's  will  had  rarely  been  crossed,  and  he  lacked  both 
the  grace  and  the  manhood  to  bear  this  refusal.  He 
even  threw  himself  upon  his  bed,  averted  his  face  and 
would  not  eat.     Jezebel  must  know  what  the  matter  is, 

and  he  told  her  the  story. Jezebel  had  no  sense  of 

justice  standing  in  her  way.  She  believed  in  the 
right  of  kings  to  do  their  own  pleasure  and  to  have  all 
their  heart's  desire.  First,  she  taunted  her  royal  hus- 
band :  "  Dost  thou  govern  the  kingdom  of  Israel  ? " 
This  does  not  look  much  like  being  a  king !  Put  the 
matter  into  my  hands  and  then  see.     I  will  give  thee 

that  vineyard  of  Naboth. She  wrote  letters  in  the 

king's  name ;  summoned  a  court  of  mock  justice,  and 
arraigned  Naboth  before  it;  suborned  false  witnesses 
to  swear  upon  him  the  crime  of  blaspheming  God  and 
his  king ;  and  enjoined  them  to  execute  the  penalty 
for  this  offense;  viz.,  to  hustle  the  criminal  out  of  the 
city  and  stone  him  to  death.  It  was  done  ;  and  then 
she  reported  the  matter  to  Ahab  and  told  him  to  go 

and  take  the  vineyard  of  the  murdered  Naboth. It 

is  sad  that  we  must  say,  Ahab  neither  objected  to  this 
use  of  his  royal  name  and  seal,  nor  to  taking  possession 
of  an  estate  obtained  by  such  high-handed  crime.  He 
set  off — shall  we  say  with  light  heart — to  take  posses- 
sion. Ah,  but  just  then,  he  met  Elijah — the  last  man 
he  would  wish  to  see.     The  Lord  had  noticed  what  was 


284  AHAB,  JEZEBEL,    AND   NABOTII. 

going  on  under  Jezebel's  management,  and  had  singled 
out  Elijah  as  the  fit  man  to  confront  Ahab  again. 
Ahab's  first  words  reveal  his  heart  toward  the  vener- 
able "man  of  God:"  "Hast  thou  found  me,  0  mine 
enemy  ?  " — found  me  once  more  in  sin  ;  found  me  when 
I  had  fondly  hoped  God  would  for  this  once  let  me 
alone? — found  me  to  act  against  me  the  part  of  an 
enemy?  Must  I  be  forever  annoyed  by  such  men  as 
you,  coming  across  my  path  to  block   my  way  with 

those  awful  words  of  Jehovah  ? As  usual,  Elijah  has 

his  answer  ready :  Yes,  indeed,  I  have  found  thee,  and 
this  is  the  reason  why :  "  Because  thou  hast  sold  thy- 
self to  work  what  is  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord." 
My  message  is  short:  "God  will  cut  off  thy  life  and 
the  life  of  thy  posterity,  sparing  not  a  man,  and  the 

dogs  shall  eat  Jezebel  by  the  wall  of  Jezreel." The 

historian  sums  up  his  estimate  of  the  character  of 
Ahab  in  the  words  :  "  But  there  was  none  like  Ahab 
who  did  sell  himself  to  work  wickedness  in  the  sight 
of  the  Lord,  whom  Jezebel  his  wife  stirred  up.  He  did 
very  abominably  in  following  idols  in  all  things  as 
the   Amorite    nations   whom   the   Lord    drove    out   of 

Canaan  for  their  abominations." Yet  it  is  added  in 

the  close  of  this  narrative  that  when  Ahab  heard  these 
terrible  maledictions,  he  stood  appalled  with  fear ;  he 
humbled  himself;  rent  his  clothes;  put  on  sack-cloth  ; 
fasted  and  went  softly  [what  did  Jezebel  say  to  this?] 
— so  that  the  Lord  modified  his  pronounced  doom  by 
deferring  certain  portions  of  it  till  after  his  death,  to 
be  consummated  upon  his  posterity. 

In  the  record  of  Jezebel,  not  one  redeeming  feature 
anywhere  appears.  Her  character  bears  the  stamp  of 
unmixed  wickedness — pure  and  utter  depravity.  We 
should  think  much  better  of  her  if  she  had  hired  an 
assassin  to  waylay  Naboth  and  hurl  a  javelin  through 
his  heart.  It  was  doubly  horrible  to  prostitute  the 
sacred  forms  of  justice  to  the  purposes  of  such  foul 
murder  and  wrong.  Perhaps  she  thought  to  conceal 
crime  under  such  a  covering;  but  God  abhors  such 
concealments,  and  has  ways  to  blast  such  schemes. 
All  in  all,  the  character  of  Jezebel  is  drawn — to  be 
execrated.  There  could  be  no  other  worthy  object  in 
delineating  such  ineffable  meanness  and  wickedness. 
True,  she  had  a  most  indomitable  will:  so  has  Satan  ; 


AHAB,   JEHOSHAPHAT,   AND   RAMOTH-GILEAD.         285 

— and  both  are  the  more  to  be  execrated.  True,  her 
character  is  self-consistent— of  one  piece  and  one 
stripe  throughout;  and  so  is  Satan's — both  simply  and 
supremely  wicked — than  which  what  worse  thing  can 
be  said  of  any  moral  being? 

Thus  far  in  the  life  of  Ahab,  we  have  found  his 
history  in  the  book  of  Kings  only.  What  we  read  in 
the  ensuing  chapter  (1  Kings  22)  occurs  with  only 
slight  variations  in  Chronicles  also  (2  Chron.  18). 

Ahah,  Jehoshaphaf,  and  Ramoth-Gllead. 

Here  for  the  first  time  we  find  relations  of  alliance — 
political  fraternity — between  the  usually  rival  king- 
doms of  Israel  and  Judah.  The  author  of  Chronicles 
indicates  the  particular  form  of  this  alliance  ;  "  Jehosha- 
phat  joined  affinity  with  Ahab,"  asking  and  taking 
Ahab's  daughter  for  the  wife  of  his  son  Jehoram,  heir- 

a]iparent  to  his  throne  (2  Chron.  18  :  1,  and  21 :  6). 

This  affinity  is  the  more'  astounding  because  Jehosha- 
phat  was  in  the  main  a  good  man  and  a  real  reformer, 
while  Ahab  was  wicked,  and  Jezebel  notoriously  and 
fearfully  so.  What  Jehoshaphat's  inducements  were 
the  record  does  not  clearly  indicate.  The  author  of 
Chronicles  puts  things  in  this  order:  "Now  Jehosha- 
phat  had  riches  and  honor  in  abundance ;  and  joined 
affinity  with  Ahab."  This  author  not  seldom  gives 
indications  of  a  philosophic  turn  of  mind;  so  that  we 
probably  do  no  violence  to  his  words  if  we  introduce  the 
logical  connective — "  And  consequently  "  joined  affinity 
with  Ahab.  It  would  not  be  the  first  or  the  last  time 
in  which  riches  and  honor  have  opened  the  door  and 
led  the  way  to  affinities  which  morally  should  have  been 
revolting.    The  question  has  an  interest  for  us,  far  more 

and  higher  than  merely  speculative; How  so  good  a 

man  could  make  so  bad  a  blunder  and  involve  himself 
in  perils  so  great,  and  his  family  in  a  ruin  so  fearful : — 
for  other  men  of  our  race — not  to  say  ourselves — may 

fall  before  like  temptations. Jehoshaphat  had  riches 

and  honor  in  abundance;  enough  to  make  affinity  with 
his  family  more  than  acceptable  to  Ahab  and  Jezebel. 
Ahab  had  put  himself  in  affinity  with  the  royal  and 
wealthy  house  of  Tyre — a  step  upward,  probably,  in  the 
eye  of  the  civilized  world  of  that  age ;  and  if  Jehosha- 


286        AHAB,  JEHOSHAPHAT,   AND   RAMOTH-GILEAD. 

phat  looked  at  things  merely  as  the  world  looks  at  them — 
why  should  not  he  think  so  too?  And  why  should  it 
not  seem  to  him  a  ready  way  to  put  himself  in  strong, 
sustaining  relations  to  the  great  political  powers  nearest 
at  hand — to  join  affinity  at  once  with  Ahab  and  Jezebel 
and  Jezebel's  royal  father?  This  might  seem  the  more 
desirable  on  account  of  the  growing  political  power  of 

Syria — so  near,  and  naturally  so  hostile. The  capital 

mistake  of  Jehoshaphat  lay  in  leaving  God  out  of  the 
account.  In  his  estimate  of  political  forces  and  national 
strength,  the  God  of  his  fathers  seems  to  have  been 
sadly,  sinfulh^  omitted. 

In  process  of  time  this  family  affinity  led  to  a  family 
visit.  "Jehoshaphat  went  down  to  Ahab  in  Samaria." 
The  author  of  Chronicles,  and  he  only  gives  the  social 
side :  "  Ahab  killed  sheep  and  oxen  for  him  in  abun- 
dance, and  for  the  people  he  had  with  him  " — his  royal 
retinue — perhaps  a  military  guard,  so  strong  as  to  sug- 
gest to  Ahab  the  proposal  he  proceeds  to  make.  Ahab 
held  a  council  of  war  with  his  servants;  "Know  ye  not 
that  Ramoth  in  Gilead  is  ours ;  and  yet  we  have  been 
tamely  inactive  and  we  take  it  not  out  of  the  hand  of 
the  king  of  Syria."  Turning  to  his  royal  guest  he  said, 
"Wilt  thou  go  with  me  to  battle  to  Ramoth-Gilead? " 

With  no  hesitation  apparent  on  the  face  of  the 

record,  he  answered,  Aye ;  count  my  people  as  thy  people 

and  my  horses  as  thine. But  Jehoshaphat  has  been 

in  the  habit,  on  the  question  of  war,  of  asking  counsel 
of  God  through  his  prophets,  and  his  second  thought  (if 
not  his  first)  was  that  in  a  matter  so  grave  as  this  might 
prove  to  be,  it  would  be  well.  So  he  said  to  Ahab,  "  In- 
quire, I  pray  thee,  at  the  word  of  the  Lord  to-day." 

Ahab  at  once  gathered  400  of  his  prophets. What 

kind  of  prophets  were  these?  Has  Jezebel  already  re- 
placed the  Baal-prophets  who  fell  on  Carmel?  Or  were 
these  ostensibly  prophets  of  Jehovah?  Or  were  they 
the  religious  officials  of  Jeroboam's  system — those  mean- 
est of  the  people  whom  he  made  his  priests? The 

first  alternative  is  scarcely  probable  so  soon;  the  second 
is  quite  improbable ;  the  third  encounters  least  difli- 
culty.  It  is  plain  they  are  low  and  mean  enough — 
sufficiently  reckless  of  truth  and  subservient  to  the 
known  wishes  of  their  monarch.  They  knew  what 
answer  Ahab  wanted ;  and  they  gave  it :  "  Go  up,  for 


AHAB,   JEIIOSHAPIIAT,    AND   RAMOTH-GILEAD.         287 

God  will  deliver   it   into   thy  hand." Jehoshaphat 

was  impressed  unfavorably  by  the  look  and  tone  of  these 
prophets;  their  answer  w^as  to  him  by  no  means  satis- 
factory. "  Is  there  not  here,"  said  he,  "  a  prophet  of  the 
Lord  besides,  that  we  may  inquire  of  him?"  Rather 
reluctantly,  Ahab  answers:  "There  is  yet  one  man, 
Micaiah  son  of  Imlah ;  but  I  hate  him ;  for  he  doth  not 
prophesy  good  for  me,  but  evil."     Jehoshaphat  dislikes 

the  tone  of  this  remark : — "  Let  not  the  king  say  so." 

Politeness  to  his  guest  had  its  claims  on  Ahab;  so  he 

hastened  ofl' a  messenger  for  this  Micaiah. Meantime 

the  400  prophets  were  entirely  harmonious  and  em- 
phatic in  their  assurance  of  success  in  this  expedition. 
Ahab's  messenger  suggested  to  Micaiah  that  this  great 
troop  of  prophets  were  all  of  one  voice,  and  that  if  he 
could  bring  himself  to  express  the  same  opinion,  it 
would  be  exceedingly  agreeable  to  King  Ahab.  Micaiah 
was  not  the  man  to  listen  for  a  moment  to  such  consid- 
erations.   He  spoke  warmly  :  "  As  the  Lord  liveth,  what 

the  Lord  saith  unto  me  that  will  I  speak." Brought 

before  Ahab,  and  the  great  question  put  to  him: — 
"  Shall  we  go  up  to  Ramoth-Giiead,  or  shall  we  for- 
bear?" he  answered  in  a  way  which  made  his  words 
signify  one  thing,  and  his  tone  and  manner  another. 
It  was  equivalent  to  this :  If  you  want  an  answer  to 
please  yourselves,  that  is  one  thing :  if  3*ou  want  the 
answer  that  God  gives,  it  is  quite  a  different  thing. 
Even  Ahab  caught  this  distinction,  and  somewhat  re- 
senting it,  replies  : — "  How  many  times  shall  I  adjure 
thee  that  thou  tell  me  nothing  but  that  which  is  true 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord  ?  " — Oh,  if  you  want  what  is 
true  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  (said  Micaiah),  I  will  give 
it.  The  scene  presented  to  my  prophetic  eye  was  this  : 
— "  All  Israel  scattered  upon  the  hills  as  sheep  that  have 
no  shepherd :  and  the  Lord  said  unto  me ;  These  have 
no  master;  let  them  return  every  man  to  his  house  in 
peace." The  import  of  this  could  not  be  misunder- 
stood. The  king  fallen  ;  his  army  smitten  and  disorgan- 
ized under  the  usual  cry — "  Ho,  every  man  to  his  tents !  " 

Ahab  turned  to  Jehoshaphat  to  say — "Did  I  not  tell 

thee  so?  He  never  prophesies  any  good  for  me,  but 
only  evil."  Micaiah  notwithstanding,  resumes,  to  des- 
cribe another  prophetic  scene — a  kind  of  cabinet  council 
(of  course  this  is  drapery),  location  not  given,  to  debate 


288  AHAB,  JEHOSAPHAT,  AND  RAMOTII-GILEAD. 

the  question  how  to  allure  Ahab  up  to  Ramoth-Gilead 
to   fall   there   in   battle.     The  scheme  of  false,  lying 

prophets   is  agreed   on   and   put   in   execution. In 

respect  to  the  morality  of  this  transaction  as  related  to 
the  Lord,  it  meets  no  other  difficulty  than  is  involved 
in  every  case  of  God's  providential  agency  in  the  exist- 
ence of  sin — which  agency  is  not  a  license  for  sinning — 
is  never  the  employing  of  his  moral  subjects  to  do  the 
sinning;  but  is  simply  leaving  the  wicked  to  commit 
sin  of  their  own  free  will,  his  shaping  hand  being  inter- 
posed only  to  turn  it  to  best  moral  account. 

The  narrative  relates  that  Zedekiah,  the  spokesman 
of  the  four  hundred,  fired  up  at  the  intimation  about 
lying  spirits ;  and  that  Ahab  ordered  Micaiah  back  to 
the  custody  of  the  governor  of  the  city — an  order  which 
seems  to  imply  a  previous  imprisonment.  "  Keep  him 
there  on  bread  of  affliction  and  water  of  affliction 
[the  coarsest  fare],  till  I  return  again  in  peace."  "  If 
thou  return  at  all  in  peace,"  (responded  Micaiah), 
"then  the  Lord  hath  not  spoken  by  me;"  and  he 
cried  aloud  to  call  the  attention  of  the  whole  people  to 
his  words.  A  staunch  man  is  he,  swerving  never  a  hair's 
breadth  from  the  rough  line  of  duty  as  the  Lord's 
j)rophet.  No  conciliating  words  has  he  to  sa}^,  bear- 
ing never  so  little  upon  his  personal  liberty  or  his 
hardships  in  prison. 

The  views  of  the  prophets  are  now  all  in,  and 
the  hour  for  decision  has  come.  What  does  Jehosha- 
pliat  think  of  the  answer  from  the  only  real  prophet 
of  the  Lord?  lie  does  not  appear  as  well  at  the  end 
of  this  consultation  with  prophets  as  at  the  beginning. 
We  must  probably  conclude  that  Ahab  and  Jezebel 
are  the  leading  master  minds  of  the  group,  and  that 
Jehoshaphat  succumbs  and  really  sacrifices  his  own 
convictions  to  his  desire  to  please  his  host  and  stand 

to  his  original  assent  to  go. They  are  ofi"  for  the 

war — and  about  to  go  into  battle.  Ahab  may  have  had 
some  intimation  that  he  would  be  the  special  target 
for  the  arrows  of  the  Syrian  host ;  and,  therefore,  (not 
quite  honorably)  he  proposed  to  Jehoshaphat — "Let 
me  go  into  battle  in  disguise;  but  put  thou  on  thy 
robes."  With  no  remonstrance  Jehoshaphat  con- 
sented: but  when  the  battle  concentrated  hotly  upon 
his  royal  chariot  and  his   conspicuous  robes,  he  cried 


AHABj   JEIIOSHAPIIAT,   AND    RAMOTH-GILEAD.        289 

out,  and  his  enemies  turned  back  from  pursuing  him  * 
Ahab,  attracting  no  special  attention,  escaped  this 
concentrated  fire ;  but  some  unknown  Syrian  archer 
drew  his  bow  at  a  venture  [Heb.  in  his  simplicity; 
with  no  particular  intent  or  aim]  and  this  arrow  took 
Ahab  between  the  joints  of  his  coat  of  mail  and  his 
breast-plate,  and  i)roved  his  death-wound.  The  king 
had  himself  supported  upright  in  his  chariot  till 
night-fall  that  the  conflict  might  not  be  arrested  by 
his  withdrawal  from  the  field,  and  then  fell,  to  rise 
no  more.  The  blood  ran  from  his  wound  into  the 
bottom  of  his  chariot ;  the  washing  was  done  at  the 
pool  of  Samaria ;  there  the  dogs  licked  up  that  blood ; 
and  there  the  harlots  bathed  themselves  in  that  bloody 
pool  [So  the  Heb.,  and  certainly  the  Septuagint  seems 
to  mean] — a  divine  and  predicted  retribution  for 
the  blood  of  Kaboth — the  beginning  of  this  retribu- 
tion, but  not  the  end  thereof.  The  after-part  came 
from  the  Lord  by  the  hand  of  Jehu,  and  involved  the 
blood  of  Jezebel  and  of  Ahab's  second  son  and  second 
successor,  Joram — first  wounded  in  battle  with  the 
Syrians;  but  ultimately  slain  by  Jehu  (2  Kings  9:  24 

-37). Thus  closed  the  life   of  Ahab,  after  a  reign 

of  twenty  years  in  consummate  wickedness. 

Of  Jehoshaphat  we  shall  see  much  more  when  we 
study  him  in  his  place  in  the  line  of  Judah's  kings. 
Yet  let  it  be  said  here  that  this  affinity  with  Ahab 
brought  upon  him  the  divine  rebuke  as  the  author  of 
Chronicles  is  careful  to  say; — "When  he  returned  in 
peace  to  his  house  in  Jerusalem,  Jehu,  son  of  Hanani 
the  seer,  went  out  to  meet  him,  saying,  Shouldest 
thou  help  the  ungodly,  and  love  them  that  hate  the 
Lord?  Therefore,  is  wrath  upon  thee  from  before  the 
Lord.  Nevertheless,  there  are  good  things  found  in 
thee  in  that  thou  hast  taken  away  the  groves  out  of  the 
land,  and  hast  i)re2)arcd  thine  heart  to  seek  God." 

The  author  of  Chronicles,  with  his  ej-e  on  the  history  of  Jehosha- 
phat and  with  a  kindly  view  of  his  character,  made  the  hand  of  God 
specially  prominent  here:  "When  the  captains  of  the  chariots  saw 
Jehoshaphat  they  said — It  is  the  king  of  Israel,  and  they  compassed 
about  him  to  fight;  but  Jehoshaphat  cried  out  and  the  Lord  helped 
him^  and  God  moved  them  to  depart  from  him." 


290  AIIAZIAH    OF    ISRAEL    AND    ELIJAH. 


Ahaziah  of  Israel  and  Elijah.     (2  Kings  1.) 

Ahaziah,  son  and  immediate  successor  of  Ahab,  was 
morally  worse  than  even  Ahab,  and  not  unnaturally  so, 
as  the  mother  has  more  absolute  power  in  forming  char- 
acter than  the  wife.  What  ought  to  be  expected  of  a 
son,  born   of  Jezebel-  -nursed,   molded,   made,  by   her 

hand? Ahaziah  comes  to  view  first,  hurt  by  a  fall, 

and  sending  messengers  to  inquire  of  Baal-zebub,^!^  god 
of  Ekron,  if  he  should  recover.  The  Lord  sent  Elijah 
to  meet  those  messengers  and  to  say — Do  ye  not  assume 
that  there  is  no  God  in  Israel  when  ye  go  to  inquire  of 
Baal-zebub,  god  of  Ekron?  "Thus  saith  the  Lord  to 
your  king ;  Thou  shalt  not  come  down  from  that  bed,  but 
shalt  surely  die."  They  reported  back  this  answer.  The 
king  was  inquisitive  to  know  who  said  those  Avords, 
and  obtained  from  them  this  description  :— "  A  hairy 
man  and  girt  with  a  girdle  of  leather  about  his  loins." 
"That,  said  he,  is  Elijah  the  Tishbite."  Forthwith,  the 
king  sent  fifty  men  under  their  captain  to  bring  Elijah 
before  him.  It  is  not  explicitly  said,  but  yet  is  cer- 
tainly to  be  inferred,  that  the  king's  purpose  was  to  put 

Elijah  to  death. This  band  of  soldiers  found  Elijah 

sitting  on  the  top  of  a  hill,  and  accosting  him,  "  Thou 
man  of  God,"  ordered  him  in  the  king's  name  to  come 
down.  Elijah  answered :  "  If  I  be  a  man  of  God,  let  fire 
come  down  from  heaven  and  consume  thee  and  thy 
fifty."  The  fire  fell  and  consumed  them.  The  king 
sent  a  second  company  with  the  same  result;  and  then 
sent  a  third;  but  this  third  captain  begged  that  the 
life  of  his  company  might  be  spared.  The  angel  of  the 
Lord  bade  Elijah  go  down,  fearing  nothing.  Elijah 
came  before  Ahaziah,  and  delivered  to  him  in  person 
the  original  message.  Ahaziah  died  as  the  Lord  had 
said.  The  significance  of  these  facts  seems  to  be  that 
King  Ahaziah  had  determined  to  take  the  life  of  Elijah, 
but  was  frustrated  in  this  purpose,  and  met  his  own 
death  instead.  That  the  spirit  of  persecution  against 
Elijah  had  reached  the  point  of  plotting  his  death,  is  a 
fact  bearing  upon  his  translation  which  shortly  ensued. 

*  Baal-zebub,  god  of  flies,  was  (probably)  supposed  to  protect  bis 
worshipers  against  this  oriental  annoyance. 


Elijah's  translation.  291 

Elijah's  Translation.  (2  Kings  2.) 
So  far  as  is  known  to  us,  Elijah  is  the  only  man  after 
Enoch,  exempted  from  the  otherwise  universal  law  of 
mortality — transferred  to  the  blessedness  of  heaven 
without  death.  If  we  ask — why  was  Elijah  selected  to 
this  high  honor  rather  than  any  other  holy  man  of 
God,  the  utmost  we  can  say  is  that  God  had  given  him 
the  honor  of  confronting  Jezebel  and  Baal  on  the  high 
places  of  Israel ;  of  imperiling  his  life  in  this  conflict ; 
of  concentrating  upon  himself  at  once  the  wrath  of 
the  wicked  men  of  his  generation  and  the  gaze  of  the 
whole  Hebrew  people ;  so  that  if  the  Lord  were  to  make 
any  signal  demonstration  of  his  power  to  lift  his  im- 
periled saints  out  of  danger,  and  even  from  earth  to 

heaven,  Elijah  was  naturally  the  candidate. If  we 

ask,  Why  should  the  Lord  ever  make  an  exception  like 
this  to  the  great  law  of  human  mortality,  taking  a  man 
up  from  human  view  in  a  chariot  of  fire,  the  answer 
might  take  a  somewhat  wider  range,  for  we  might  sug- 
gest— not  merely  to  confound  wicked  persecutors;  not 
merely  to  show  himself  the  Almighty  Protector  and 
Friend  of  his  persecuted  people ;  but  to  prove  to  skepti- 
cal mortals  that  heaven  has  both  reality  and  place  ;  that 
there  is  a  home  for  the  righteous  beyond  the  life  that  is 
of  earth ;  and  practically  to  bring  that  heavenly  home 
nearer  to  human  thought  and  motive.  One  such  trans- 
lation, well  certified,  might  spread  its  influence  over 
vast  countries,  and  send  it  down  through  long  succeed- 
ing ages.  How  grand  and  yet  how  specific  the  testi- 
mony it  bears  to  the  resurrection  of  the  righteous  dead! 
How  it  must  awaken  thought  and  inquiry !  For  it 
could  not  be  supposed  that  the  blessed  home  for  God's 
saints  in  his  presence  could  be  for  Enoch  and  Elijah 
only;  it  could  not  be  assumed  that  those  two  human 
bodies  and  those  only  among  all  the  saved  would  find 
place  before  the  throne  of  God.  Certainly,  men  must 
infer  that  the  bodies  of  other  saints — nay  of  all  the 
saints— must  reach  that  blessed  world,  as  well  as  theirs, 

in  God's  due  time,  and  in  his  ordained  method. It 

scarcely  need  be  suggested  that  in  an  age,  drifting  like 
that  of  Elijah  so  fearfully  away  from  the  true  God  into 
Baal-worship,  the  call  for  such  a  demonstration  of  the  fu- 
ture life  would  be  urgent,  and  the  scope  for  its  influence 
vast. 


292 

As  to  the  immediate  antecedents  of  this  translation, 
it  is  noticeable  that  Elijah,  Elisha  also,  and  even  all 
ihe  "  sons  of  the  prophets  " — those  well  filled  schools 
then  flourishing  at  Gilgal,  Bethel,  and-Jericho — had  pre- 
intimations  of  the  event.  There  was  no  effort  to  draw 
together  a  crowd  of  witnesses ;  nor,  on  the  other  hand, 
was  there  any  special  effort  to  exclude  all  witnesses, 
and  have  it  take  place  before  no  human  eye.  Elisha 
felt  that  he  could  not  forego  the  spectacle.  Elijah's 
attitude  on  this  point  seems  to  have  been — If  you  care 
enough  about  it  to  go  anywhere  and  stay  anywhere 

with  me,  you  will  see  it ;  otherwise,  not. Note  that 

when  Elijah  was  shown  that  his  time  was  near,  he 
moved  on  toward  the  designated  place,  touching  succes- 
sively at  Gilgal,  Bethel,  and  Jericho— ^■.  e.,  at  all  the 
locations  of  prophet-colleges — at  least,  all  in  that  vicin- 
ity. Need  we  ask  for  what  purpose  ?  Perhaps  he  had 
some  ftirewell  benediction  or  some  word  of  encourage- 
ment as  to  the  work  of  God  which  he  must  so  soon 
transfer  from  his  own  hand  to  theirs.  Be  this  as  it 
may,  this  last  call  must  have  fixed  attention  most  in- 
tensely on  the  scene  so  near  at  hand  when  "the  Lord 
would  (as  to  Elisha)  take  away  his  master  from  his 
head"  (2  Kings  2:  7). 

Elijah  and  Elisha,  journeying  on,  had  crossed  the 
Jordan,  the  stroke  of  Elijah's  mantle  parting  asunder 
the  waters  at  their  feet.  Elijah  had  said  to  his  servant: 
What  last  keepsake  shall  1  give  thee?  and  had  been 
answered:  "A  double  portion  of  thy  spirit  to  be  with 
me;"  when,  all  suddenly,  as  they  were  in  conversation 
(was  it  upon  those  visions  of  glory  then  just  ready  to 
burst  upon  Elijah's  eye?)  there  appeared  a  "chariot  of 
fire  and  horses  of  fire,  and  parted  them  both  asunder, 
and  Elijah  went  up  by  a  whirlwind  into  heaven." 
Elisha's  eye  was  clear;  he  saw  it,  and  took  in  its  grand 
significance ;  for  he  cried :  "  My  father !  my  father !  the 
chariots  of  Israel  and  the  horsemen  thereof!"  It  was 
a  moment  for  only  exclamations  in  briefest  words. 
Apparently  his  thought  was — My  father!  the  chariot 
of  the  God  of  Israel  has  taken  him;  he  is  gone!  Or 
possibly  this  :  ]\Iy  father — he  who  is  more  and  mightier 
to  Israel  than  chariots  and  horsemen ! 

The  sequel  is  of  minor  importance.  Elisha  caught 
the  falling  mantle  of  his   prophet-father;    smote  and 


JEHORAM,  AHAB's   SECOND  SON.  293 

parted  the  Jordan  waters  therewith ;  touched  at  Jericho 
where  the  sons  of  the  prophets  met  him  and  proposed 
to  send  fifty  strong  men  to  see  if  Elijah  had  not  been 
dropped  on  some  mountain  or  in  some  valley; — against 
which  Elisha  protested  till  his  protest  availed  nothing. 
Fifty  men  searched  three  fruitless  days  and  then  re- 
turned. Let  us  hope  this  result  helped  them  to  loftier 
and  more  just  views  of  what  Elijah's  translation  sig- 
nified. It  is  surprising  that  they  should  think  of  this 
as  even  possibl}^  an  expedient  to  get  Elijah  out  of 
present  danger,  or  away  into  some  remoter  field  of 
prophetic  service. 

We  must  note  that  Elisha  shortly  after  touched  at 
Bethel — the  site  of  one  of  the  prophet-schools,  but  (at 
least  since  Jeroboam)  a  wicked  city.  There  the  ascen- 
sion of  Elijah  was  known,  not  in  the  college  only,  but  on 
the  street ;  for,  as  Elisha  was  passing  along,  there  came 
forth  boys  (small  young  men,  the  Heb.  signifies),  and 
mocked  him  with  the  challenge  :  "  Go  up  too,  thou  bald- 
head  ;  "  ascend  after  thy  master,  old  bald-head !  This 
insult  to  age ;  this  shocking  impiety  toward  the  God 
of  the  holy  prophets ;  this  inexpressibly  awful  hardi- 
hood in  joking  thus  upon  the  chariot  and  horses  of  fire 
which  swept  Elijah  U])  to  heaven — what  shall  we  say 
or  think  of  it?  We  are  not  surprised  that  a  divine 
impulse  moved  Elisha  to  curse  them,  and  that  God 
made  them  examples  of  swift  and  terrible  retribution. 

King  Jehoram,  the  Second  Son  of  Aliah. 

The  dynasty  which  began  with  Omri,  which  was 
made  notorious  by  Ahab,  whose  general  character  was 
perpetuated  by  his  immediate  successor,  Ahaziah,  ter- 
minated with  the  death  of  his  second  son,  Jehoram.  Con- 
temporary with  Ahab  and  Ahaziah,  as  we  have  seen,  was 
the  prophet  Elijah.  Elisha,  his  servant  and  successor, 
came  often  into  contact  with  Jehoram,  but  lived  far 
into  the  dynasty  which  began  with  Jehu ;  i.  e.,  through 
the  reign  of  Jehu,  twenty-eight  years;  through  the 
reign  of  his  son  Jehoahaz,  sixteen  years;  into  the  reign 
of  Jehu's  grandson,  Joash,  when  his  long  and  eventful 
life  closed. 

After  following  out  briefly  the  thread  of  Jehoram's 
reign  to  the  close  of  the  Omri- Ahab  dynast}^,  it  will  be 


294  JEHORAM,  AHAB's  SECOND  SON. 

in  place  to  give  our  special  attention  to  the  recorded 
incidents  which  cluster  round  the  prophetic  life  of 
Elisha. 

Of  Jehoram's  religious  life,  the  record  is  that  he  did 
not  follow  his  father  nor  his  mother  in  the  worship  of 
Baal,  for  he  put  away  the  images  of  Baal  that  his  father 
Ahab  had  made.  He  did,  however,  maintain  the  calf- 
worship  instituted  by  Jeroboam. 

2  Kings  3  narrates  a  notable  military  expedition,  in 
Avhich  Israel,  Judah,  and  Edom  were  in  alliance  against 
Mesha,  king  of  Moab.  It  was  made  at  the  instance  of 
Jehoram  of  Israel,  to  whose  throne  Moab  had  been  trib- 
utary since  the  days  of  Omri ;  but  near  this  time  (2 
Kings  1 :  1)  rebelled  and  withheld  the  customary  trib- 
ute. It  is  stated  here  that  Mesha,  king  of  Moab,  was  a 
sheep-master — a  royal  shepherd  on  a  large  scale — his 
annual  tribute  to  Israel  having  been  the  wool  of  100,000 
lambs  and  100,000  rams.  The  A.  V.  (accepted  version) 
means  to  say  that  this  tribute  included  the  animals  as 
well  as  the  wool.  The  Heb.  says :  He  returned  these 
lambs  and  rams  as  to  the  wool,  or  simply  icool ;  but  not 
"  with  the  wool."  It  is  certainly  supposable,  and  on  the 
whole  probable,  that  the  wool  was  the  only  tribute  ren- 
dered.    (So  Keil.) 

In  this  expedition  the  allied  armies,  instead  of  tak- 
ing the  more  natural  and  usual  route  to  Moab,  across 
the  Jordan,  and  thence  southward  down  the  eastern 
shore  of  the  Dead  Sea,  kept  down  on  the  western  shore, 
to  pass  its  southern  extremity,  and  so  strike  Moab  on 
its  southern  border.  This  was  a  wikl,  mountainous, 
seven-days'  route ;  the  army  found  itself  entirely  with- 
out water.  Jehoram  was  utterly  discouraged;  "Alas, 
that  the  Lord  hath  called  these  three  kings  together  to 
deliver  them  into  the  hand  of  Moab."  Jehoshaphat, 
having  more  faith  in  God,  was  not  so  easily  broken 
down.  "  Is  there  not  here,  said  he,  a  prophet  of  the  Lord 
that  we  may  inquire  of  the  Lord  by  him?"  How 
Elisha  happened  to  be  there  we  are  not  told;  but  he 
was  near  at  hand.  A  servant  of  the  king  of  Israel 
knew  the  fact  and  reported  it.  His  description  is 
worthy  of  notice :  "  Here  is  Elisha  who  poured  water 
on  the  hands  of  Elijah."  Was  this  service  analogous  to 
the  washing  of  feet  in  the  time  of  our  Lord?  It  could 
scarcely  have  been  due  to  the  infirmities  of  feeble  old 


JEHORAM,    AIIAB's   SECOND   SON.  295 

age;  for  Elijah  ^vas  a  vigorous  pedestrian  up  to  the 

hour  of  his  ascension. The  three  kings,  instead  of 

summoning  Elisha  before  them,  "  went  to  him."  Elisha 
had  some  respect  for  Jehoshaphat ;  none  at  all  for  Jeho- 
ram ;  and  thought  proper  to  say  so.  "  What  have  I  to 
do  with  thee !  Get  thee  to  the  prophets  of  thy  father, 
and  to  the  prophets  of  thy  mother."  For  Jehoshaphat's 
sake,  however,  he  consented  to  ask  counsel  of  the  Lord 
in  their  behalf. But  first  Elisha  called  for  a  min- 
strel— a  player  on  stringed  instruments.  While  the 
minstrel  was  playing,  the  hand  of  the  Lord  came  upon 

Elisha,  bringing  the  prophetic  vision  he  sought. Was 

this  connection  between  music  and  prophecy  normal,  or 
only  occasional  and  special  ?  There  being  no  other 
allusion  save  this  to  the  presence  of  a  minstrel  in  the 
prophetic  life  of  Elisha,  it  would  be  gratuitous  to  infer 
from  this  one  case  that  he  never  prophesied  without 
such  aid.  Was  it  that  his  mind  had  been  disturbed 
by  his  thought  of  Jehoram,  Ahab,  and  Jezebel,  and 
that,  therefore,  he  needed  the  soothing  influence  of 
music? 

His  message  bade  them  "make  that  valley  full  of 
ditches;"  promised  them  that  without  seeing  wind 
or  rain,  they  should  yet  see  that  valley  filled  with 
water  in  ample  supply ;  and  further,  that  the  Lord 
would  give  the  Moabites  into  their  hand.  As  the  next 
day  opened,  and  while  the  morning  sacrifice  was  in  prog- 
ress, the  water  came  from  the  mountains  of  Edom.  We 
are  left  to  suppose  that  a  great  rain  fell  on  those  moun- 
tains—  a  miracle  in  the  not  infrequent  sense  —  the 
Lord's  hand  wielding  the  agencies  of  nature  for  his  own 

special  purposes. A  two-fold  result   followed.     The 

water  saved  the  army;  the  appearance  of  it  as  seen  at 
sunrise  by  the  Moabites — red  as  blood,  filling  those 
ditches — suggested  to  them  that  their  enemies  had 
fallen  out  with  each  other,  and  that  mutual  slaughter 
had  filled  the  valley  with  blood.  Rushing,  therefore, 
in  reckless  disorder  upon  the  hoped-for  spoil,  the}^  fell 
upon  hosts  of  men  in  arms,  and  were  fearfully  cut  to 
])ieces.  The  fleeing  remnant  was  closely  besieged  in 
Kirhareseth — supposed  to  be  the  modern  Kcrak — a 
place  of  immense  natural  strength.  The  narrative  sets 
forth  that  the  king  of  ^loab,  finding  his  last  sally  with 
700  swords-men  to  break  through  to  the  kinp;  of  Edom 


296  mesiia:  the  moabite  stone. 

ineffectual,  took  his  eldest  son,  heir-apparent  to  his 
throne,  and  offered  him  for  a  burnt-offering  ujDon  the 
city  wall ;  i.  c,  in  full  view  of  the  besieging  army.  The 
author  then  closes  with  the  statement— not  altogether 
lucid  —  "And  there  was  great  indignation  against 
Israel,  and  they  departed  from  him,  and  returned  to 
their  own  land! "  What  was  the  ground  of  this  great 
indignation  ?  Who  felt  it ;  and  had  it  any  connection 
with  raising  the  siege,  and  with  the  return  of  the  allied 
armies  to  their  homes?  I  see  no  explanation  of  the 
case  more  obvious  and  probable  than  that  this  horrid 
spectacle  impressed  the  besiegers  with  the  severe  and 
terrible  straits  to  which  the  king  of  Moab  was  reduced; 
awakened  pity  and  sympathy  in  his  behalf,  and  corres- 
ponding indignation  against  the  king  of  Israel,  at 
whose  instance  this  war  on  Moab  was  waged — under 
which  sentiments  the  allied  armies  desisted  from  such 
horrid  war  and  went  home.  Humanity  forcing  its 
way  to  power  amid  the  horrors  of  barbarism  1 

Reverting  to  the  mercy  shown  to  Jehoram  and  to  the 
allied  armies  through  Elisha  and  the  miracle  of  water, 
we  may  class  it  with  many  others  in  this  age,  designed 
to  show  apostate  Israel  that  her  God  was  mighty  to  save, 
and  that,  if  the  king  and  his  people  would  indeed  return 
to  him,  and  be  true  to  their  covenant,  they  would  en- 
sure the  very  highest  prosperity.  Jehoram  ought  to 
liave  been  a  better  man  after  that  great  relief  brought 
to  him  through  this  divine  mercy.  It  was  one  of  the 
great  and  w'ise  efforts  of  the  God  of  Israel  to  call  him 
back  to  a  better  mind. 

Mesha^  king  of  3foab,  and  the  Moabite  stone. 

The  historic  connections  of  Mesha,  king  of  Moab, 
with  Israel  have  received  recently  a  most  remarkable 
confirmation  by  the  discovery  in  1868  of  what  is  coming 
to  be  generally  known  as  ^Uhe  Moabite  Stoned  ^  This  is  a 
pillar  or  monumental  stone  about  three  feet  nine  inches 
in  length,  two  feet  four  inches  in  breadth,  and  one  foot 
two  inches  in  thickness.  It  is  undoubtedly  an  official 
monument  commemorating  the  emancipation  of  Moab 
from  an  oppressive  subjection  during  about  forty  years 
to  the  kings  of  Israel.  The  language  is  fundamentally 
Hebrew,  no  w^ord  occurring  of  which  the  root  does  not 


THE    TROPnET    ELISIIA.  297 

exist  in  tlio  Hebrew  Scriptures.  "  It  reads  (says  M.  de 
Vogue)  like  a  page  of  the  Hebrew  Scriptures."  "The 
form  of  the  letters  is  the  oldest  known  to  any  written 
language.  The  Pentateuch  was  no  doubt  written  in 
such  letters  in  the  time  of  Moses ;  Solomon  and  Hiram 
corresponded  with  each  other  in  such  characters."  At 
the  time  it  was  copied  enough  Avas  still  legible  to  show 
that  Moab  had  been  in  subjection  to  Israel,  and  had 
achieved  her  independence ;  and  that  the  reigning 
.monarch  under  whom  her  independence  was  achieved 
bore  the  name  Mesha.     It  began  thus : 

"  I,  Meslaa,  am  son  of  Cberaosb-gad  king  of  Moab,  tbe  Dibonite. 
My  fatber  reigned  over  Moab  tbirty  years,  and  I  reigned  after  my 
fatber.  And  I  erected  tbis  stone  to  Cbemosb  at  Kareba  [a  stone  of] 
salvation,  for  be  saved  me  from  all  despoilers  and  let  me  see  my 
desire  upon  all  my  enemies,  and  Omri,  king  of  Israel,  wbo  oppressed 
Moab  many  days,  for  Cbemosb  was  angry  witb  bis  land.  His  son 
succeeded  bim  and  be  also  said,  I  will  oppress  Moab." 

Its  tone  throughout  is  remarkably  religious — in  the 
sense  of  recognizing  the  fortunes  of  his  kingdom,  good 
or  ill,  as  determined  by  his  national  god  Chemosh.  It 
is  chiefly  occupied  with  his  special  exploits  in  war  and 
in  the  rebuilding  of  cities.  A  large  number  of  proper 
names,  i.  e.,  of  great  kings  and  of  cities,  appear  on  this 
stone — names  which  occur  also  in  the  Hebrew  Scrip- 
tures— the  number  supposed  to  be  satisfactorily  identi- 
fied being  twenty-three,  and  conjecturally,  some  others. 

It  is   generally  admitted  that  this  Moabite  stone 

brings  to  light  the  oldest  extant  specimen  of  alphabetic 
writing.  It  records  the  military  achievements  of 
Mesha,  king  of  Moab,  for  a  period  of  forty  years  or  more, 
from  about  B.  C.  925.  This  would  fix  the  date  of  this 
writing  not  later  than  B.  C.  885 — contemporary  with 
the  accession  of  Jehu,  the  death  of  Ahaziah,  king  of 

Judah,  and  of  Jehoram,  of  Israel. Explorations  in 

these  ancient  lands  are  now  in  somewhat  active  prog- 
ress, stimulated  by  this  signal  discovery. 

The  Prophet  Elisha. 

Both  Elijah  and  Elisha  fulfilled  their  prophetic  mis- 
sion in  the  kingdom  of  the  ten  tribes.  The  only  excep- 
tion to  this  general  statement  which  appears  in  the 
history  is  a  letter  from  Elijah  to  Jehoram,  king  of 


298  THE  TROPIIET   ELISIIA. 

Judah,  son  of  Jehoshaphat  (2  Chron.  21 :  12-15),  sharply 
rebuking  liim  for  not  following  his  father  Jehoshaphat, 
and  grandfather  Asa,  but  instead,  his  father-in-law 
Ahab  :  also  for  murdering  all  the  brothers  in  hisf^xther's 
family — denouncing  for  these  great  sins  this  fearful 
punishment :  "  Behold,  with  a  great  plague  will  the 
Lord  smite  th}^  people  and  thy  children  and  thy  wdves 
and  all  thy  gods ;  and  thou  shalt  have  great  sickness  by 
disease  of  thy  bowels,  until  thy  bowels  fall  out  by  reason 

of  the  sickness  day  by  day." This  apostas}^  and  these 

great  judgments,  though  in  the  kingdom  of  Judah,  yet 
came  wdthin  the  purview  of  Elijah  as  being  the  fruits 

of  the  seed-sowing  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel. This  letter 

from  Elijah  is  the  only  notice  of  him  wdiich  appears  in 
the  books  of  Chronicles.  Elisha's  name  is  not  in  these 
books  at  all — his  prophetic  life  being  entirely  restricted 
to  the  kingdom  of  Israel. 

In  speaking  of  the  schools  of  the  prophets  (pp.  115, 
117-122)  I  referred  to  some  incidents  in  the  prophetic 
life  of  Elisha.  We  reach  the  record  of  them  in  2  Kings, 
commencing  from  the  ascension  of  Elijah.  Truly  a 
double  portion  of  Elijah's  miracle-working  power 
rested  on  Elisha.  First  at  Jericho,  he  restored  the 
waters  to  salubrity  and  the  land  to  fertility  b}^  the 
application  of  salt.  The  record  is — "So  the  waters 
were  healed  unto   this  day,  according   to  the  saying 

of  Elisha  whicli  he  spake"  (2  Kings.     2;  22). Next 

in  order  stands  the  case  of  the  impoverished  widow 
of  one  of  the  sons  of  the  prophets  (2  Kings  4 :  1-7) 
(presented  back  on  p.  119).  This  miracle  is  of  the 
same  class  with  the  feeding  of  five  thousand  with  five 
loaves  and  two  small  fishes — God's  mighty  hand  and 
loving  heart  ministering  to  human  want  otherwise 
than  through  the  ordinary  laws  of  the  material  world. 
A  widow  in  straits  learns  that  the  God  of  Israel  re- 
members the   poor,   and   has   resources   in   plenty  for 

their   help. Next   Elisha  makes   the   acquaintance 

of  a  prominent  woman  of  Shunem.-!^  He  found  in  her 
liouse  a  warm  welcome  and  a  free  outgushing  hospital- 
it3^  In  fact  she  was  so  impressed  that  he  was  a  man 
of  God,  she  induced  her  husband  to  fit  up  a  prophet- 

*  On  the  western  extremity  of  Little  Hermon,  and  four  miles  N.  of' 
Jezreel. 


THE  PROPHET    ELISIIA.  209 

chamber  for  his  lodging  whenever  he  might  drop  in 
from  his  missionary  travels.  [Shunem  lay  on  his  oft- 
traveled  route  between  Carmel  on  the  north  and  his 
prophet-colleges  (Bethel,  Jericho,  Gilgal)  on  the  south.] 
The  historian  narrates  that  a  son  was  promised  to  this 
good  woman  of  Shunem,  previously  childless ;  that 
this  son  fell  sick  (a  case  of  sun-stroke),  and  died ;  that 
her  heart  turned  at  once  to  the  man  of  God  (her  fre- 
quent guest  Elisha),  and  she  hasted  to  lay  this  burden 
of  her  heart  before  him  ;  that  she  found  him  in  Carmel, 
and  told  him  of  her  affliction.  The  prayer  of  faith 
raised  this  dead  child  to  life.  In  this  case  the  resto- 
ration was  preceded  by  what  may  possibly  have  been 
instrumental  means,  and  yet  the  means  were  such 
that  we  can  not  be  certain  of  any  natural  connection 
with  the  miraculous  result.  The  prophet  stretched 
himself  upon  the  child,  mouth  to  mouth,  eyes  to  eyes, 
hand  to  hand,  and  the  child's  flesh  waxed  warm. 
Then  he  rose  and  walked  the  room  and  repeated  this 
process  until  at  length  life  returned.  The  reason,  if 
any,  for  blending  natural  agencies  (if  they  were  agen- 
cies) with  miracles,  is  not  apparent.  The  reason  for 
some  doings  which   may  test   the   faith   of  the   party 

interested  is  "  not  far  to  seek." This  case  is  brought 

to  view  again  (2  Kings  8 :  1-6)  some  years  afterward. 
Elisha  had  advised  her  to  leave  the  country  on  account 
of  a  seven  years'  famine  then  impending.  She  went 
into  the  country  of  the  Philistines.  When  she  return- 
ed she  found  that  her  homestead  had  been  appro- 
priated, and  she  was  compelled  to  apply  to  the  king 
to  recover  it.  By  a  special  providence  the  king  was 
just  at  that  moment  in  conversation  with  Gehazi 
(Elisha's  servant),  inquiring  about  the  great  things 
that  Elisha  had  done.  The  servant  had  reached  the 
story  of  this  raising  of  the  Shunemmite's  son — when  lo ! 
the  woman  herself  appeared,  crying  to  the  king  for  her 
house  and  for  her  land.  His  interest  in  her  case  was 
so  thoroughly  awakened  that  she  obtained  her  rights 
at  once. 

Resuming  the  history  of  Elisha,  we  find  him  on  his 
mission  tours,  stopping  at  Gilgal,  one  of  the  prophet- 
colleges  which  was  apparently  under  his  care.  Here 
again  is  dearth  and  famine;  even  the  coarsest  vegeta- 
bles were  scarcely  to  be  had.     In  the  search  an  un- 


300  NAAMAN  THE  SYRIAN. 

known  herb  was  found  and  brought  in,  which  proved 
poisonous ;  yet  the  poison  was  neutralized  by  meal  cast 
into  the  pot  by  the  prophet's  direction — a  case  which 
natural  law  fails  to  account  for,  and  in  which  w^e  must 
assume  the  supernatural. 

In  close  connection  with  this  stands  yet  another  case 
of  the  miraculous  increase  of  a  small  stock  to  a  large 
supply — apparently  at  this  Gilgal  College.  This  man 
from  Baal-shalisha,  bringing  in  some  of  the  first-fruits 
of  his  harvest,  is  a  sample  case,  showing  how,  in  part, 
the  prophet-schools  were  fed.  The  benefactions  of 
kind,  religious  friends  w^ere  in  this  case  eked  out  by 
that  sort  of  miracle  which  multiplies  little  into 
much. 

NaamaUj  the  Syrian  Captain- General. 

This  story  (2  Kings  5)  abounds  in  suggestive  and 
practical  points.  Naaman,  chief  captain  of  the  Syrian 
army,  a  mighty  man  of  valor,  successful,  much  esteemed 
by  his  king,  was  yet  a  leper.  A  little  captive  maid 
from  Israel  -waited  on  Naaman's  wife,  and  expressed 
her  S3'mpathy  with  Naaman's  great  affliction  by  say- 
ing :  "Would  God  my  lord  were  with  the  prophet  that 
is  in  Samaria!  for  he  would  recover  him  of  his  leprosy." 
[Elisha's  fame  as  a  prophet  and  a  worker  of  miracles 
must  have  reached  the  remote  northern  districts  of  the 
kingdom.]  The  king  of  Syria  and  his  court  had  some 
faith  in  the  miraculous  powers  of  tfie  great  prophet  of 
Israel  (doubtless  they  had  heard  of  him  before).  It  is, 
therefore,  concluded  to  send  Naaman  to  the  king  of 
Israel,  for  he  is  assumed  to  be  on  intimate  terms  with 
such  a  prophet.  The  king  of  Syria  gave  him  a  letter 
of  introduction,  and  a  very  liberal  present  besides.  The 
letter  to  Israel's  king  read :  "  I  have  sent  Naaman  my 
servant  to  thee  that  thou  mayest  recover  him  of  his 
leprosy."  The  king  of  Israel  knew  far  less  than  he 
ought  to  have  known  about  Elisha,  and  not  dreaming 
that  this  application  had  grown  out  of  his  fame,  was 
first  astonished  and  then  s'uspicious  of  foul  play.  For- 
tunately— i.  e.,  providentially — Elisha  heard  of  the 
agitation  and  trouble  of  his  king,  and  sent  him  this 
very  sensible  message:  "Why  hast  thou  rent  thy 
clothes?     Let  Naaman  come  now  to  me,  and  ho  shall 


NAAMAN  THE  SYRIAN.  301 

know  (hat  there  is  a  prophet  in  IsraeL" Naaman 

came  in  royal  state  Avith  horses  and  chariots,  and  halted 
this  brilliant  body-guard  before  the  humble  door  of  the 
prophet.  Elisha  did  not  come  forth  to  pay  his  respects 
to  this  roj-al  troop,  but  quietly  sent  out  a  messenger  to 
say:  "Go  and  wash  in  Jordan  seven  times,  and  thy  flesh 

shall  come  again  and  thou  shalt  be  clean." This 

sort  of  reception  was  entirely  unexpected  and  seemed 
to  Naaman  even  disrespectful.  Moreover,  the  means 
for  the  cure  were  exceedingly  cheap,  not  to  say  that  he 
thought  them  disparaging  to  the  noble  rivers  and  pure 
waters  of  his  own  country.  "  I  had  supposed,  said  he, 
that  the  prophet  would  surely  come  out  to  see  and  to 
honor  duly  the  captain-general  of  the  great  Syrian 
army ;  but  he  only  sends  out  a  messenger !  I  thought 
he  would  stand  over  me  and  call  on  the  name  of 
the  Lord  his  God,  and  then  wave  his  hand  over  the 
most  diseased  portions  and  so  recover  me  of  my  leprosy. 
Does  he  think  I  shall  condescend  to  be  healed  in  this 

undignified  way?" Style  and  rank  and  pride  were 

badly  offended ;  Naaman  was  really  wroth ;  "  he  turned 
and  went  away  in  a  rage."  Fortunately,  he  had  with 
him  servants  more  sensible  than  himself.  One  of 
them  very  quietly  and  respectfully  suggested — "  If  the 
prophet  had  bid  thee  do  some  great  thing,  wouldest  thou 
not  have  done  it?  How  much  rather  then  when  he 
saith  unto  thee,  Wash  and  be  clean?" This  ap- 
peared sensible  ;  so  he  went  to  the  Jordan,  dipped  him- 
self seven  times  in  its  waters,  and  was  clean  of  his 
leprosy. 

Let  us  turn  back  a  moment  to  ask,  Was  not  Elisha  a 
little  disrespectful,  rather  bluff,  and  deficient  in  true 
Christian  politeness?  Perhaps  some  one  will  ask: 
Did  Jesus  treat  men  and  women  so  when  they  came  to 

him  to  be  healed? To  meet  this  case  fairly  it  should 

be  premised  that  w^e  have  no  means  of  knowing  how 
far  Elisha's  reception  of  Naaman  was  dictated  by  the 
divine  monition  within  him,  and  how  much  by  his 
own  knowledge  of  human  nature  and  sense  of  fitness; 
but  it  is  safe  to  assume  that  his  bearing  in  this  case 
was  not  displeasing  to  God.  Next,  let  it  be  said.  The 
cases  on  record  of  Christ's  miracles  of  healing  fail  of 
analogy  with  this,  for  he  never  had  a  Naaman  halting 
his  chariot  at  his  door  in  all  the  royal  state,  and  pomp, 


302  NAAMAN  THE  SYRIAN.  , 

and  pride  of  a  Syrian  captain-general.  We  remember 
that  Jesus  did  say  :  "  Whosoever  shall  not  receive  the 
kingdom  of  God  as  a  little  child  shall  not  enter  there- 
in " — a  principle  which  Elisha's  bearing  toward  Naaman 
was  well  adapted,  not  to  say  intended,  to  exemplif3^ 
"The  High  and  lofty  One  who  inhabiteth  eternity"  has 
unutterable  tenderness  toward  the  lowly;  but  "the 
proud  he  knoweth  afar  off." 

Naaman's  sense  of  self-consequence  had  almost  proved 
fatal  to  him,  as  it  has  to  thousands  of  sinners  who  come 
to  God  for  blessings  with  no  true  conception  of  ill  desert 
and  no  real  cry  for  mercy.  Their  inward  thought  is  to 
be  treated  with  all  due  deference  and  appropriate  recog- 
nition of  their  various  good  qualities  and  doings. 

When  Noaman  came  up  from  the  Jordan  consciously 
made  whole,  he  did  not  lay  his  course  at  once  for  home. 
With  nobler  impulses  he  said,  I  must  go  back  to  that 
"  man  of  God  "  with  two  things  to  say  to  him  :  (1)  That 
now  I  know  there  is  no  God  in  all  the  earth  but  in 
Israel,  and  that  I  will  henceforth  offer  neither  burnt- 
offering  nor  sacrifice  unto  other  gods,  but  unto  Jeho- 
vah : — (2)  That  I  am  ready  to  pay  ivell  for  the  healing  I 
have  found: — "Therefore,  I  pray  thee  take  a  blessing 
from  thy  servant."  This  the  prophet  peremptorily  and 
persistently  refused.  It  would  not  be  wholesome  to  let 
Naaman  think  that  such  blessings  w^ere  on  sale  or  could 

be  remunerated  with  money. Then  Naaman  begs  to 

take  two  mule-loads  of  Israelite  earth  with  which  to 
])uild  an  altar  in  his  own  country,  assuming  some 
special  sanctity  in  tlie  very  soil  of  a  land  in  which 

there  dwelt  a  God  having  such  power  to  save. But 

it  then  occurred  to  him  that  his  proposed  worship  of 
Jehovah  only  will  need  to  be  somewhat  qualified;  for 
his  master,  the  king  of  Syria,  worships  the  god  Rimmon, 
and  expects  his  servant  Naaman  to  be  present  that  he 
may  lean  upon  his  hand,  and  to  bow  himself  also  when 
his  master  bows  himself  before  this  idol-god.  For  this 
exception  to  the  general  law  of  worshiping  Jehovah 
only,  Naaman  begs  pardon,  hoping  it  will  not  be  too 
great  an  indulgence  to  ask  :  "  The  Lord  pardon  thy  serv- 
ant,   I    pray,   in    this    thing." Thus,   though   some 

great  truths  are  forcing  themselves  in  upon  his  mind, 
yet  still  he  gropes  along  but  slowly  out  of  his  pagan 
idolatrous   darkness.      It    will    be    readily   seen    that 


THE    PROPHET    ELISHA.  303 

Naaman's  case  is  a  real  specimen  of  human  nature. - 


If  any  would  ask  whether  he  carried  out  successfully 
and  to  the  divine  accej^tance  his  declared  purpose  to 
sacrifice  to  Jehovah  alone  with  only  the  one  specified 
exception,  the  answer  can  be  given  with  unerring  cer- 
tainty: By  no  means.  No  man  ever  yet  succeeded  in 
worshiping  both  the  idol  Rimmon  and  the  true  God, 
Jehovah.  "  Ye  can  not  serve  God  and  Mammon." 
Never  so  little  worship  of  Mammon  vitiates  all  the  pro- 
fessed worship  of  Jehovah.  We  know  this  of  Naaman 
as  well  without  any  historic  record  of  his  future  life  as 
with  it. 

In  the  sequel  of  this  story  of  Naaman,  Elisha's  ser- 
vant Gehazi  put  himself  on  record  to  illustrate  that 
"the  love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil."  He  did  not 
comprehend  how  Elisha  could  be  willing  to  miss  so  fine 
a  chance  to  make  money.  Therefore  when  he  saw  that 
money  going  away,  3^et  in  hands  that  were  so  willing 
just  then  to  give  it,  he  said,  "  As  the  Lord  liveth " 
(what  a  place  for  such  an  oath !  )  "  I  will  run  after  him 
and  take  somewhat  of  him."  He  made  up  a  story  to 
tell  to  Naaman,  and  succeeded  in  getting  two  talents  of 
silver  and  two  changes  of  raiment.  Having  secreted  it, 
he  took  his  place  again  before  Elisha  as  if  nothing  had 
happened.  "  Gehazi/'  said  the  prophet,  "  whence  comest 
thou?"  Where  hast  thou  been?  He  tried  another 
falsehood  to  hide  his  crime,  but  had  to  bear  the  curse 
of  Naaman's  leprosy  through  his  remaining  life. 

The  fragment  of  prophet-college  history  which  we 
have  in  2  Kings  6: 1-7,  touching  the  enlargement  of  their 
buildings,  probably  at  Gilgal  or  Jericho,  has  been  under 
consideration  in  our  sketch  of  those  schools  (page  119). 

Next  (2  Kings  6:  8-33,  and  7)  we  see  Elisha  in 
scenes  of  war  with  Syria  in  the  siege  of  Samaria ;  in  the 
consequent  severe  famine  and  the  ensuing  relief. 
These  scenes  illustrate  the  remarkable  variety  of 
miraculous  powers  accorded  by  the  Lord  to  his  prophet 
and  the  means  employed  in  God's  providence  to  bring 
them  in  clear  and  strong  light  before  the  king,  his 
royal  capital,  and  the  whole  kingdom. 

The  king  of  Syria  "warred  against  Israel"  (G :  8), 
liere  not  in  regular  warfare  with  large  army,  but  in 
predatory  bands  of  guerrilla  character.  In  councils  of 
war,  plans  had  been  laid  repeatedly  to  waylay  the  king 


304  THE  PROPHET  EIJSHA. 

of  Israel  at  particular  points ;  but  Elisha  forewarned 
his  king  of  the  clanger  and  saved  him  every  time.  The 
king  of  Syria  was  greatly  troubled,  being  sure  there 
must  be  some  traitor  among  his  cabinet  officers.  At 
length  some  one  explained  the  mystery:  "Elisha,  the 
prophet,  tells  his  king  what  thou  speakest  in  thy  bed- 
chamber." Then,  said  the  king,  we  must  arrest  that 
prophet.  Where  is  he?  At  Dothan.*  Forthwith  a 
large  force,  including  chariots  and  horsemen,  invested 
the  city  by  night,  ready  to  seize  the  prophet  at  the 
opening  of  day.  The  prophet's  servant,  perhaps  aware 
of  danger,  went  out  at  day-break  to  reconnoiter,  and 
came  back  in  great  alarm:  "Alas,  my  master;  how 
shall  we  do? "  Our  enemies  have  surrounded  the  city ! 
Elisha  replied  calmly :  "  There  are  more  with  us  than 
with  them."  Did  he  remember  the  double  camps  of 
God's  hosts  (Gen.  32:  2)  whom  Jacob  saw  about  him 
at  Mahanaim?  He  knows  that  "  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
encampeth  round  about  them  that  fear  him  and  deliv- 
ereth  them"  (Ps.  34:  7).  To  beget  like  faith  in  his 
servant,  Elisha  prayed :  "  Lord,  02:>en  his  eyes  " — his 
spiritual  eye — "that  he  may  see."  The  Lord  answered 
this  prayer  instantly,  and  the  servant  saw,  indeed,  that 
"  the  mountain  was  full  of  horses  and  chariots  of  fire 
round  about   Elisha" — God's   angelic   host  marshaled 

for  the  protection  of  his  servant. The  Syrian  forces 

close  in  upon  the  prophet.  He  is  moved  of  God  to  pray : 
"  Smite  them,  O  Lord,  with  blindness."  Done  ;  and 
then  Elisha  in  the  guise  of  a  friendly  guide,  said :  "This 
is  not  the  way  nor  the  city ;  follow  me,  and  I  will  lead 
you  to  the  man  ye  seek "  —  a  species  of  deception 
against  an  enemy  in  arms  which  moralists  almost  uni- 
versally defend  as  no  violation  of  the  principles  of 
truth.  The  prophet  led  them  twelve  miles,  into 
Samaria;  and  there  in  answer  to  his  second  prayer,  the 

Lord  opened  their  eyes. The  current  explanation  of 

this  form  of  blindness  is  that  they  were  not  made  ab- 
solutely sightless,  but  that  their  eyes  were  holden  only 
so  far  forth  as  the  object  in  view  required.  They  were 
unable  to  recognize  their  surroundings  so  as  to  under- 
stand where  tliey  were,  though  they  still  had  vision 
enough  to  march  after  their  leader. The   king  of 

*  The  same  place  which  appears   in  the  story  of  Joseph  (Gen,  37 : 
17)  near  Shecuem,  about  twelve  miles  north  of  Samaria. 


SAMARIA  BESIEGED  AND  DELIVERED.  305 

Israel  woke  suddenly  to  find  this  host  of  his  Syrian 
enemies  at  his  mercy,  and  cried  out  to  Elisha :  "  My 
father,  shall  I  smite  them?"  Elisha  answered:  By  no 
means ;  but  feed  them  bountifully  and  send  them  home. 
This  was  done  accordingly — a  sort  of  peace  policy 
which  worked  admirably,  for  we  read  that  "  the  bands 
of  Syria  came  no  more  into  the  land  of  Israel."  This 
predator}'-  guerrilla  warfare  was  resumed  no  more.  The 
siege  of  Samaria,  narrated  in  the  remaining  part  of 
this  chapter,  seems  to  have  occurred,  not  soon,  but  long 

afterward. In  v.  22  the  clause  translated — "Wouldest 

thou  smite  those  whom  thou  hast  taken  captive  with 
thy  sword  ?  "  is  constructed  variously  by  critics,  some 
approving  the  English  version,  and  others  taking  the 
passage  affirmatively;  smite  your  captives  taken  by 
force  of  arms  (if  you  will),  but  not  those  who  have 
been  thrown  into  your  power  by  God's  miraculous 
hand.  The  Hebrew"^  text  favors  the  English  version 
and  so  does  the  nature  of  the  case,  if  it  be  true  that 
ordinary  captives  in  war  were  spared  from  violent 
death. 

Samcu'ia  Straitly   Besieged^  and  the  Ensuing  Deliverance. 
(2  Kings  6 :  24-33  and  7). 

This  siege  brought  on  extreme  famine.  Affecting 
evidence  of  its  severity  came  to  the  king's  knowledge  as 
he  was  going  the  rounds  upon  his  city  walls  where  his 
defensive  army  was  stationed.  A  woman  cried  out  to 
him  for  help.  Her  story  ran  thus  :  By  agreement  with 
this  woman  we  were  to  boil  and  eat  my  child  the  first 
day  and  her  child  the  next.  Mine  was  given  up  accord- 
ing to  agreement ;  killed,  boiled  and  eaten ;  but  when 
the  next  day,  I  said  to  her,  "  Now  give  thy  son  that  we 
may  eat  him,"  she  had  hidden  him.  The  king  felt  the 
horrors  of  the  case;  saw  the  severity  of  this  dreadful 
famine;  rent  his  clothes  and  put  on  sackcloth.  His 
first  impulse  was  to  cast  the  blame  on  Elisha,  either  as 
having  sent  this  famine,  or  as  being  able  but  not  will- 
ing to  relieve  it.  So  he  vowed  solemnly  to  take  off  his 
head  that  very  day,  and  started  off  a  messenger — a 
state  executioner — for  this  purpose.  Elisha  knew  from 
the  Lord  who  was  coming,  and  bade  his  friends  shut 
and  hold  fast  the  door,  for  the  king  himself  was  closo 
14 


306  SAMARIA  BESIEGED  AND   DELIVERED. 

behind.  It  seems  that  the  king's  second  thought  was 
a  better  one ;  so  he  hastily  followed  the  executioner  ; 
for  the  last  words  of  v.  33,  are  manifestly  his  :  "  Behold 
this  evil  is  of  the  Lord"  (not  of  Elisha,  as  I  at  first  as- 
sumed) ;  yet  how  can  we  endure  it  even  from  the  Lord 
any  longer?  He  seems  to  be  in  despair  of  help  in 
waiting  on  God. 

The  next  chapter  (2  Kings  7)  continues  the  narrative 
without  interruption : — Banish,  said  Elisha,  your  de- 
spondent fears.  Hear  ye  this  word  of  the  Lord :  "  To- 
morrow about  this  time  shall  a  measure  of  fine  flour 
be  sold  for  a  shekel,  and  two  measures  of  barley  for 
a  shekel  in  the  gate  (the  market-place)  of  Samaria." 
We  are  not  told  whether  the  king  believed  the  proph- 
et's word;  but  a  lord  on  whose  hand  the  king  leaned 
— one  of  his  high  officers,  answered  the  prophet  with 
sarcastic  contempt : — "  See  !  the  Lord  will  make  win- 
dows (sluices,  flood-gates)  in  the  sky  to  rain  down 
bread  upon  us,  and  so  this  thing  shall  be!"  This 
seems  the  more  exact  sense  of  the  Hebrew  word;  "Be- 
hold," see  how  this  thing  shall  be  done— said  in  most 
utter  unbelief.  This  language  comes  from  the  story  of 
the  deluge.  God  will  open  the  flood-gates  in  the  sky 
now  as  then,  raining  bread  now  as  then  he  rained 
water. Elisha  simply  answered,  "  Behold  " — repeat- 
ing the  first  Avord  of  that  unbelieving  taunt;  there  is 
another  "6eAo/c?.-"  "behold,  thou  shalt  see  this  overflow- 
ing abundance  with  thine  eyes,  but  shalt  not  eat 
thereof." 

■In  the  event  the  Lord  caused  the  Syrians  to  hear  a 
noise  as  of  horses,  chariots,  and  a  mighty  host,  and  they 
said — Israel  must  have  hired  the  kings  of  the  Hittites 
and  Egyptians  to  come  upon  us:  let  every  man  flee  for 
dear  life.  Leaving  every  tent  standing  ;  their  animals 
tethered;  their  baggage  and  provisions  all  as  they  were, 
they  fled  in  the  evening  twilight  and  made  fast  time 

toward  their  homes. The  fact  was  first  discovered 

by  four  lepers,  staying  just  outside  the  city  gates,  ex- 
cluded from  the  city — their  disease  being  accounted 
unclean,  and,  perhaps,  contagious.  They  had  started 
out  at  dusk,  saying,  we  may  as  well  die  by  the  Syrians 
there  as  by  the  fiimine  here.  To  their  great  surprise 
they  found  the  first  tent  unoccupied,  and  the  next  also, 
and  so  on ;  food  and  stores  of  every  sort  plenty,  but  not 


SAMARIA   BESIEGED   AND    DELIVERED.  307 

a  man.  They  ate  awhile  as  famishing  men  would;  but 
they  soon  thought — this  is  too  good  a  thing  to  be  with- 
held from  our  friends  in  the  city;  so  hastening  in  the}^ 
reported  it.  The  cautious  king  at  first  saw  in  it  a  strat- 
agem, and  sent  out  a  small  exploring  party.  Joy  and 
plenty  ensue,  the  prophet's  words  are  all  fulfilled.  Even 
that  unbelieving  lord  lived  to  see  those  grand  supplies 
of  bread  brought  into  the  city,  but  not  to  taste  of  it ;  for, 
being  put  in  charge  of  one  of  the  gates,  the  rush  out 
and  in  was  so  great  that  they  trod  him  under  foot — to 
his  death.  Unbelief,  ripened  to  the  point  of  insult 
and  scorn  was  too  reproachful  to  God  to  be  borne  with 

impunity. Thus  again  the  prophetic  words  of  Elisha 

were  fulfilled  in  the  most  public  manner,  in  modes  best 
adapted  to  fix  the  attention  of  the  whole  people,  and  to 
produce  the  best  possible  moral  impression.  It  was  a 
divine  movement  to  recall  the  people  of  Israel  from 
their  Baal  and  calf- worship  to  a  solid  faith  in  their 
own  Jehovah ;  and  to  save  the  nation  from  drifting 
utterly  into  idolatry  and  political  ruin. 

2  Kings  8  opens  with  the  sequel  to  the  history  of 
the  wealthy  and  worthy  woman  of  Shunem.  Elisha 
had  apprised  her  of  a  seven  years'  famine,  and  sug- 
gested that  she  seek  a  home  elsewhere.  She  went 
among  the  Philistines.  This  sequel  is  of  interest  as 
showing  incidentally  that  the  king  (Jehoram,  second 
son  of  Ahab)  thought  enough  of  Elisha  to  ask  Ge- 
hazi  to  tell  him  all  the  great  things  his  master  had 
done.  By  God's  providence  it  happened  that  Gehazi 
had  just  told  the  story  of  his  raising  to  life  the  Shu- 
nemmite's  son,  when,  lo,  she  came  in,  crying  to  the 
king  for  her  land.  The  Lord  thus  prepared  the  way 
for  the  easy  success  of  her  plea. 

The  narrative  next  traces  Elisha  to  Damascus — sent 
there  of  God,  it  would  seem,  to  fulfill  a  part  of  the 
mission  committed  to  Elijah  at  Horeb ;  viz.,  to  anoint 
Hazael-'^  to  his  work  as  a  scourge  upon  the  family  of 
Ahab. 

*  The  names  of  Ilazacl  and  Bcn-hadad  have  been  recognized  in  the 
Assyrian  monuments.  They  occur  in  the  inscription  on  the  black 
obelisk  now  in  the  British  Museum.  Both  are  mentioned  as  kings 
of  Damascus  who  contended  with  a  certain  Shalmanezer,  king  of 
Assyria,  and  suffered  defeat  at  his  hands.  In  one  of  the  battles 
between  this  king  and   Ben-hadad,  "Ahab  of  Jezrcel"  is  mentioned 


308  JEHU  AND   HIS  WORK. 

This  chapter  closes  with  a  historic  grouping  of  the 
leading  points  in  the  royal  succession  of  kings  on  the 
now  related  thrones  of  Israel  and  Judah ;  viz.,  of 
Ahab's  second  son,  Jehoram — wounded  by  the  Syrians 
in  battle,  and  returning  to  be  healed  of  his  wounds 
in  Jezreel;  of  Ahaziah  of  Judah,  grandson  of  Jehosha- 
phat  and  son  of  Jehoram,  whose  reign  of  but  one  year 
closed  at  the  same  time  with  that  of  Jehoram  of 
Israel,  both  dying  under  Jehu's  hand.  Lest  these 
similar  names  in  these  two  dynasties  confuse  us,  it 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  two  immediate 
successors  of  Jehoshaphat  in  Judah  were  his  son 
Jehoram  and  his  grandson  Ahaziah;  while  the  two 
immediate  successors  of  Ahab  were  first,  Ahaziah, 
his  eldest  son,  two  years ;  and  then  Jehoram,  his 
second  son,  twelve  years.  The  same  names  are  wont 
to  reappear  in  closely  related  families. 

Jehu^  son  of  Nimshi,  and  Jus  dynasty. 

2  Kings  9  introduces  a  new  dynasty  in  Israel,  in- 
augurated by  the  anointing  of  Jehu — a  high  officer  in 
the  army.  He  was  raised  to  the  throne  to  be  the  scourge 
of  God  upon  the  whole  family  of  Ahab,  including  the 
then  related  dynasty  of  Judah,  both  dynasties  being  at 
that  time  descendants  of  Jezebel. 

An  unnamed  "  son  of  the  prophets"  was  sent  (doubt- 
less under  direction  of  Elisha)  to  anoint  Jehu.  This 
also  as  well  as  Elisha's  tour  to  Damascus  to  see  Hazael 
was  included  in  the  special  mission  assigned  to  Elijah 
at  Horeb  when  the  Lord  sent  him  back  to  his  work  in 
Israel.  He  transmitted  these  responsibilities  to  his 
successor  Elisha. 

Jehu  was  little  else  than  God's  messenger  of  terrible 
retribution — first  on  Joram  [Jehoram],  king  of  Israel, 
whom  he  shot  through  the  heart;  next,  on  Jezebel, 
Joram's  mother,  upon  whom  full  vials  of  righteous 
judgment  were  poured  out — in  place  and  circumstance 
suggestive  of  her  part  in  Naboth's  murder;  and  then 
upon  Ahaziah,  king  of  Judah,  son-in-law  of  this  same 

among  the  allies  of  the  latter.  This  same  Shalmanezer  took  tribute 
from  Jehu.  This  is  the  point  at  which  the  Assyrian  records  first 
come  into  direct  contact  with  those  of  Jews."  (Speaker's  Commen- 
tary pp.  37,  88.) 


JEHU  AND  HIS  WORK.  309 

Jezebel ;  and,  last,  upon  all  the  descendants  of  Jezebel 
and  Ahab  from  the  least  to  the  greatest. 

In  the  brief  record  of  Jezebel's  last  hour  we  may  note 
(2  Kings  9 :  30)  the  lofty  spirit  displayed  in  her  mani- 
fest purpose  to  die  like  a  queen.  When  she  heard  that 
Jehu  had  come  to  Jezreel,  instantly  forecasting  the  issue, 
she  painted  her  eye-lids — the  upper  and  the  under — 
with  a  pigment  of  antimony  to  give  the  eye  an  unnatu- 
ral brillianc}^,'!^  and  also  wreathed  a  royal  tiara  about 

her  head,  and  then  placed  herself  at  the  window. 

That  dogs  should  eat  the  flesh  of  Jezebel  in  Jezreel 
where  she  had  shed  Naboth's  blood  was  at  once  the  ful- 
fillment of  a  delinite  prediction  of  her  doom,  and  the 
most  revolting  end,  in  the  view  of  the  ancients,  to 
which  any  human  being  could  come.  Goliath,  we  may 
remember,  could  denounce  no  lower  doom  on  the  strip- 
ling David,  than  to  say,  "  I  will  give  thy  flesh  to  the 
fowls  of  the  air  and  to  the  beasts  of  the  field."  But 
the  oriental  dog  is  of  all  beasts  at  the  lowest  depth  of 
meanness. 

Over  the  few  remaining  fragments  of  Jezebel's  bones 
(2  Kings  9  :  35)  which  the  dogs  had  not  had  time  or 
taste  to  devour,  we  may  well  pause  awhile — not  to  drop 
any  tears  over  fallen  greatness,  but  to  give  thought  to 
the  solemn  though  tardy  retribution  which  she  had  so 
long  dared  the  God  of  heaven  to  send,  and  which  she  had 
so  richly  deserved.  Since  the  death  of  Ahab  (fourteen 
years)  her  name  has  not  come  upon  the  page  of  sacred 
history,  but  her  baleful  power  had  been  felt  in  Israel, 
blocking  every  effort  of  prophet  or  other  good  men 
toward  reform ;  filling  Israel  again  with  hundreds  of 
Baal's  prophets  and  priests  for  Jehu  to  slaughter  by 
wholesale,  even  as  Elijah  had  done  at  the  foot  of 
Carmel.  We  must  doubtless  ascribe  it  largely  to  her 
that  Elijah's  influence  on  Ahaziah  (2  Kings  1)  was  so 
inappreciable;  that  the  glorious  testimony  of  his  ascen- 
sion fell  powerless  on  the  royal  court,  on  Samaria,  Jez- 
reel, and  Bethel ;  and  that  Elisha's  long  succession  of 
miracles  turned  to  so  little  account  as  a  means  of  im- 
pressing the  nation  and  witnessing  to  the  true  God  in 
Israel.    That  she  was  gifted  with  qualities  of  most  com- 

*  This  practice  of  painting  about  the  e^'es  is  alluded  to  in  .Jer,  4  :  30, 
and  Ezek.  23 :  40.  Noticeably  the  Assyrian  sculptures  afford  repre- 
sentations of  eyes  thus  painted. 


310  JEHU   AND    HIS   WORK. 

lYianding  sort,  such  as  we  should  profoundly  honor  if 
they  were  sanctified  by  goodness,  there  is  no  occasion  to 
deny ;  but  goodness  seems  to  have  been  utterly  foreign 
from  her  character.  She  was  no  less  wicked  than  great; 
no  less  base  than  proud,  persistent,  and  heroic.  When 
it  shall  be  suitable  to  do  homage  to  Satan,  we  may 
afford  to  place  on  the  same  roll  of  honor  this  historic 
Jezebel. 

In  the  passage  (2  Kings  9:11)  which  narrates  the 
return  of  Jehu  to  his  military  comrades  after  his 
anointing  by  the  young  prophet,  we  read,  "One  said  to 
him,  Wherefore  came  this  mad  fellow  unto  thee  ?  "  Some 
reader  may  inquire.  How  came  it  that  this  young 
prophet    made    an    impression    so    unfortunate   upon 

these  military  men? 1  answer,  "The  word  'mad'  is 

stronger  than  the  Hebrew  term  it  should  represent : 
'  fellow '  is  not  in  the  Hebrew  at  all.  The  fact  undoubt- 
edly was  that  a  peculiar  excitement,  a  bearing  of  earnest 
enthusiasm,  normally  accompanied  the  prophetic  spirit. 
This  young  man  may  have  been  unusually  agitated,  for 
he  was  young :  a  total  stranger  to  this  imposing  com- 
pany, all  unused  to  military  scenes  and  surroundings, 
and  withal  quite  aware  of  the  possible  perils  of  anoint- 
ing a  new  king  and  inaugurating  a  political  revolution. 
We  need  not  assume  or  admit  any  other  symptoms  of 
madness  than  these  circumstances  account  for. 

While  Jehu  was  dashing  from  one  scene  of  slaughter 
to  another,  fulfilling  his  high  behest  of  terrible  retribu- 
tion upon  Ahab's  house,  he  fell  in  with  Jehonadab  [or 
Jonadab],  son  of  Rechab,  one  of  the  noble  reformers  of 
the  age;  greeted  him  joyfully,  and  seemed  to  be  almost 
overjoyed  to  have  his  favoring  presence  and  approba- 
tion. (See  2  Kings  10  :  15,  16.)  Jonadab's  aid  was  spe- 
cially valuable  in  sifting  out  all  the  true  friends  of  God 
from  the  Baal-prophets  and  priests  whom  Jehu  had 
summoned  together  for  slaughter.  After  Jehu  had 
sifted  them  as  carefully  as  possible  by  the  terms  of  his 
call,  he  still  felt  the  importance  of  being  very  sure  that 
no  servant  of  God  should  be  inadvertently  among  them. 
Jonadab,  familiar  with  the  good  men  of  the  land, 
walked  carefully  through  this  gathered  house-full  in 
company  with  Jehu,  to  make  it  doubly  sure  that  no 
servant  of  the  Lord  should  be  there.* 

*  This  Jonadab,  son  of  Rechab,  comes  to  light  historically  in  Jer. 


JEHU   AND    HIS   DYNASTY.  311 

In  this  history  Jehu  presents  a  somewhat  striking 
contrast  of  physical  vigor  against  moral  weakness. 
Under  the  latter,  I  refer  not  altogether  to  his  frequent 
deceptions,  for  it  might  be  a  question  how  far  the 
exigencies  of  his  bloody  mission  might  apologize  for  or 
justify  those ;  but  to  the  fact  that  whereas  he  had  a 
grand  opportunity  to  bring  back  the  nation  to  the  wor- 
ship of  the  true  God,  he  missed  this  high  privilege  and 
opportunity  most  entirely.  He  rooted  out  Baal,  but 
kept  the  calves  of  Jeroboam,  and  "  took  no  heed  to  walk 
in  the  law  of  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  with  all  his  heart " 

(2  Kings  10 :  29-31). For  the  good  he  did  the  Lord 

pledged  to  him  four  successive  generations  upon  the 
throne  of  Israel,  but  because  of  his  manifold  short-com- 
ings, morally  and  religiously,  God  gave  him  the  throne 
of  Israel  no  longer.^ 

Of  the  other  kings  in  Jehu's  dynasty  only  brief 
notices  appear.  His  son  Jehoahaz  reigned  seventeen 
years;  had  wars  with  Syria,  for  awhile  disastrous,  de- 
structive; but  subsequently,  when  he  besought  the 
Lord  for  help,  he  found  deliverance  and  peace  (2  Kings 
13 :  3-5,  22,  23).  It  fell  to  his  son  Joash  to  stand  and 
weep  over  the  aged  prophet  Elisha  in  his  last  sickness,t 
and  to  give  utterance  to  his  emotions  in  words  bor- 
rowed from  Elisha's  own  lips  as  he  saw  Elijah  ascend : 
"  0,  my  father,  my  father,  the  chariot  of  Israel  and  the 
horsemen  thereof." The  dying  prophet  aroused  him- 
self sufficiently  to  give  the  king  some  prophetic  an- 
nouncements bearing  on  the  then  pending  issues  of 
his  wars  with  Syria,  in  which  the  measure  of  the 
king's  success  turned  upon  the  reach  and  compass  of 
his  faith. 

At  this  point  the  historian  records  that  the  bones  of 

35.  To  my  sketch  of  his  history  and  that  of  his  family — both  an- 
cestors and  descendants — as  given  there,  the  reader  is  referred. 

*  At  this  stage  of  the  history  in  2  Kings  we  find  a  digression  to  the 
affairs  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah  (filling  chap.  11  and  12)  to  give  the  his- 
tory of  Athaliah  and  of  Joash; — of  Athaliah,  a  daughter  and  genuine 
successorof  Jezebel,  coming  in  here  by  natural  association  with  Jezebel 
and  Jehu,  and  of  Joash,  rescued  from  her  murderous  hand  by  special 
providence,  and,  of  course,  linked  in  the  history  with  his  grand- 
mother Athaliah.  We  shall  give  them  further  notice  in  their  place 
among  the  monarchs  of  Judah. 

t  Supposed  to  have  reached  the  age  of  ninety,  for  full  sixty-three 
years  had  passed  since  his  call  into  the  prophetic  office. 


312  JEROBOAM   II.    AND   THE    PROPHETS. 

Elisha  imparted  life  to  a  dead  body  thrown  in  hastilj^ 
upon  them  (2  Kings  13:  20) — so  Avonderfully  was  the 
miraculous  element  blended  with  his  whole*  life,  ex- 
tending even  to  his  decaying  bones.  The  demand  for 
miracles,  i-esidting  from  the  great  decline  of  faith,  especially 
in  the  kingdom  of  the  ten  tribes,  is  a  point  worthy  of 
special  notice.  The  ministry  of  prophets,  and  partic- 
ularly of  the  miracle-working  prophets,  Elijah  and 
Elisha,  was  the  chief  agency  employed  of  God  to  re- 
sist and  eradicate  Baal-worship  from  the  land  and  to 
bring  the  people  back  to  a  living  faith  in  Israel's  God. 
Other  prophets  in  considerable  number  had  important 
work  to  do  in  this  special  field ;  but  miraculous  agency 
seems  to  have  been  chiefly  limited  to  these  two  men. 

Two  prophets  whose  writings  have  come  down  to  us, 
Hosea  and  Amos,  fall  within  the  long  reign  (41  years) 
of  Jeroboam  II,  son  and  successor  of  this  Joash  who 
stood  by  the  dying  Elisha.  Their  writings  show  how 
solemnly  they  expostulated  with  and  how  earnestly 
they  rebuked  both  the  people  and  their  king  for  their 
sins;  how  tenderly  they  entreated  them  to  turn  to  their 
compassionate  Father  to  find  merc}^;  and  yet  with  how 
little  avail.  If  these  written  exhortations  fairly  repre- 
sent the  oral  preaching  of  the  prophets  in  Israel,  it  must 
have  been  wonderfully  pungent,  searching,  thrilling, — 
and  ought  to  have  been  full  of  moral  power. 

Physically,  Jeroboam's  long  reign  was  vigorous;  "He 
restored  the  coast  of  Israel  from  the  entering  of  Hamatli 
unto  the  sea  of  the  plain  (the  Dead  Sea).  ^^  The  politi- 
cal power  of  Israel  had  fcillen  very  low,  but  was  revived 
for  a  season  through  divine  compassion  under  this  Jero- 
boam Il.f 

^  With  his  son  and  successor  Zachariah  reigning  but 
six  months,  this  dynasty  of  Jehu  terminated,  and  the 
kingdom  declined  thenceforward  rapidly  to   its   final 

fall. One  Shallum  reached  the  throne  by  conspiracy 

and  by  the  murder  of  Zachariah — to  hold  it  but  one 
month,  and   then   give  place   to   another  conspirator, 

*  This  had  been  predicted  by  the  prophet  Jonah,  although  this 
prophecy  does  not  appear  in  the  Scriptures  (2  Kings  14:  25). 

t  lictwccn  Jeroboam  II  and  his  son  some  annalists  find  an  inter- 
regnum of  eleven  years,  resting  upon  a  comparison  of  2  Kings  14:  2j 
17,  2.'>,  and  2  Kings  15 :  1,  8,  If  tlie  figures  in  these  texts  are  correct 
this  interregnum  must  be  assumed.  If  incorrect,  we  are  in  great 
chronological  darkness. 


MENAHEM  AND  PUL  OP  ASSYRIA.  313 

Menahem,  who  took  at  once  his  life  and  his  throne— to 
hold  it  ingloriously  ten  years.  His  only  recorded 
achievement  is  that,  when  attacked  by  Pul,  king  of 
Assyria,  he  hired  him  to  "confirm  the  kingdom  in  his 
hand"  for  the  price  of  1,000  talents  of  silver.  This 
money  he  exacted  from  his  wealthy  citizens,  assessing 
them  fifty  shekels  each.  The  talent  of  silver  being 
equal  to  3,000  shekels,  each  talent  was  divided  among 

sixty    men,    and    the    whole    among    60,000. The 

Northern  kingdom  had  no  rich  temple-treasury  to 
drain  on  such  occasions.  It  was  doubtless  politic  in 
Menahem  to  throw  this  burden  ujDon  his  richest  men. 

Reverting  at  this  point  to  the  connections  between 
sacred  history  and  profane,  we  have  here  the  first 
notice  of  an  Assyrian  king  forcibly  invading  either  of 
these  Hebrew  kingdoms.  Assyria,  with  Nineveh  for 
its  center,  had  been  rising  in  power  a  full  century  and 
pushing  its  conquests  toward  the  west  and  south-west. 
Yet,  on  the  authority  of  Geo.  Rawlinson  (Speaker's 
Commentary  on  2  Kings  15 :  19)  "  the  name  of  Pu^ 
does  not  appear  among  the  Assyrian  monumental 
kings.  It  is  even  absent  from  the  copies  of  the  Assyr- 
ian Canon  which  profess  to  give  the  entire  list  of 
monarchs  from  about  B.  C.  910  to  B.  C.  670."  Assyria 
proper  seems  to  have  been  in  a  depressed  state  for  some 
forty  years  before  Tiglath  Pileser — the  period  within 
which  this  expedition  must  fall.  Berosus,  who  men- 
tions Pul,  calls  him  a  Chaldean  and  not  an  Assyrian 
king.  These  circumstances  are  thought  to  favor  the 
assumption  that  in  the  struggle  for  ascendancy  between 
Babylon  and  Nineveh,  here  was  a  period  in  which  the 
former  was  in  the  ascendant,  and  that  Pul  was  one  of 
her  kings — then  recognized,  however,  by  remote  west- 
ern  nations  as  essentially  of  the   Assyrian   line. 

The  Assyrian  inscriptions  show  that  Menahem  was 
subsequently  subdued  by  Tiglath  Pileser,  who  made  an 
expedition  into  Syria  early  in  his  reign — an  expedition 
not  noticed  in  the  Scriptures.  He  sat  on  the  throne  of 
Assj-ria  proper,  at  Nineveh,  a  monarch  of  great  vigor. 
From  this  time  onward  the  Assyrian  kings  bear  rela- 
tions of  most  vital  moment  toAvard  both  these  Hebrew 
kingdoms,  subduing  and  uprooting  the  northern  (as 
we  shall  see),  but  most  signally  failing  to  crush  out 
the  southern. 


814  END  OF  THE  KINGDOM  OF  ISRAEL. 

The  short  reign  (two  years)  of  Pekahicah,  son  and  suc- 
cessor of  Menahem,  ended  with  conspiracy  and  his  vio- 
lent death — one  Pekah,  son  of  Remaliah,  a  captain  of 
his,  being  the  successful  usurper.  During  his  reign  of 
twenty  years — religiously  like  his  predecessors,  doing 
only  evil  —  Tiglath-Pileser  came  up  against  him, 
dismembering  his  kingdom  by  wresting  from  it  the 
region  of  Naphtali,  including  several   important  cities 

(mentioned  2  Kings  15 :   29). This  Pekah  became 

prominent,  associated  with  Rezin,  king  of  Sj^ria,  in 
wars  with  Ahaz,  king  of  Judah,  with  various  success; 
besieging  Jerusalem  unsuccessfully  (2  Kings  16:  5), 
but  smiting  the  army  of  Ahaz  with  immense  slaughter 
(according  to  2  Chron.  28 :  5-S).  To  these  events  we 
must  refer  more  in  detail  in  tracing  the  history  of  Judah. 

After  Pekah,  the  narrative  puts  Hoshea,  who  reached 
the  throne  by  conspiracy  and  the  murder  of  Pekah. 
The  chronological  figures  are  extremely  confused  and 
conflicting — 2  Kings  15 :  30  placing  this  event  in 
Jotham's  twentieth  year;  v.  33,  following,  giving 
Jotham's  reign  a  total  of  only  sixteen  years;  and  2 
Kings  17 :  1  bringing  Hoshea  to  the  throne  in  the 
twelfth  year  of  Ahaz,  Jotham's  successor.  It  is  at  least 
difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  decide  wdiich  figures  are 
correct  and  which  in  error.  Some  annalists  locate  an 
interregnum  of  nine  years  between  Pekah  and  Hosliea. 
If  tliis  were  the  case  w^e  must  assume  that  his  first 
efforts  to  gain  the  throne  were  unsuccessful.  The  king- 
dom was  fast  verging  tow^ard  utter  ruin. 

The  End  of  the  Kingdom  of  Israel.     (2   Kings   17  and 
18 :  9-12.) 

The  events  of  Iloshea's  reign  of  nine  years  decided 
the  fate  of  the  kingdom.  The  wickedness  of  the  nation 
liad  culminated  and  become  unendurable  before  God. 
Practically,  reform  was  hopeless ;  destruction  and  cap- 
tivity, therefore,  alone  remained  to  close  the  scene. 

Shalmanezer  and  the  Assyrian  power  became  the 
Lord's  instruments  for  this  result.  First,  he  placed 
Hoshea  under  tribute.  After  Hoshea  had  paid  tribute 
for  a  period  (not  exceeding  six  years)  he  revolted  and 
sought  aid  from  So,  king  of  Egypt,  in  sustaining  him- 
self against  Shalmanezer.     This  bad  faith  brought  upon 


END  OF  THE  KINGDOM  OF  ISRAEL,  315 

him  the  vengeance  of  Shalmanezer,  who  at  once  laid 
siege  to  Samaria.  After  a  siege  of  three  years  the  city- 
fell,  and  its  surviving  population  were  borne  away  into 
captivity — placed  in  Halah  and  by  Habor,  the  river  of 

Gozan,^  and  in  the  cities  of  the  Medes. This  proved 

to  be  their  final  captivity.  These  tribes  never  re- 
turned to  their  native  land.  The  kingdom  was  extin- 
guished forever. 

The  historian  proceeds  immediately  (vs,  7-23)  to  as- 
sign the  moral  grounds  for  the  hopeless  captivity  of 
the  ten  tribes.  They  had  gone  into  idolatry.  They 
had  practiced  it  secretly ;  they  had  practiced  it  openly. 
They  had  adopted  the  idols  and  the  idol-worshiping 
usages  of  all  the  nations  round  about  them,  and  had 
done  this  despite  of  most  stringent  prohibitions  from 
their  God;  despite  of  repeated  warnings;  and  of  oft 
recurring  judgments.  In  these  moral  eflbrts  to  save 
them  God  had  sent  his  prophets  often  and  long,  but 
they  would  not  hear.  They  had  hardened  their  necks 
and  would  not  believe  God,  They  had  utterly  broken 
his  covenant,  and  so  had  forfeited  all  the  protection 
and  blessings  which  in  that  covenant  were  pledged  to 
the  obedient.  Sinking  themselves  down  to  the  very 
depths  of  the  abominations  of  idol-worship,  they  had 
not  only  made  and  worshiped  golden  calves,  but  they 
had  worshiped  the  host  of  heaven;  they  had  served 
Baal ;  and  had  even  burned  alive  their  sons  and  daugh- 
ters ;  had  used  divination  and  enchantments; — in  short 
had  gone  into  the  extremest  forms  of  idol-worship  and 
debased  themselves  with  all  its  attendant  pollutions 
and  abominations.  Hence  the  Lord  "  cast  them  utterly 
out  of  his  sight."  The  goodly  land  of  promise  had  been 
made  his  abode — his  chosen  dwelling-place.  Conse- 
quently, when  he  utterly  rejected  these  tribes,  it  was 
fitting  that  they  should  be  driven  from  this  land — "out 
of  his  sight " — in  the  expressive  and  repeated  language 
of  the  historian  (vs.  18,  20,  23). 

The  king  of  Assyria  filled  these  emptied  cities  and 
fields  with  another  population,  gathered  up  from  Baby- 
lon, Cuthah,  Ava,  Hamath,  and  Sepharvaim  (v.  24) — 

•■••This  is  the  correct  translation:  "In  Halah  [a  country],  upon 
Ilabor,  the  great  river  of  [tlie  country]  Gozan.  This  Habor,  often 
spelled  Chabour,  is  one  of  the  largest  tributaries  of  the  Euphrates 
from  the  west,  draining  the  entire  province  of  Gozan  [Gauzanitis,] 


316  CONNECTIONS  OF  SACRED  HISTORY  WITH  PROFANE. 

idolaters  all,  each  class  introducing  and  worshiping  its 
own  idol  gods  at  its  option.  Remarkably  it  is  said  that 
"  because  they  feared  not  the  Lord,  he  sent  lions  among 
them  who  slew  some  of  them" — whereupon,  according 
to  the  current  notion  that  each  country  has  its  own 
special  gods  whose  protection  must  be  sought  by  wor- 
ship acceptable  to  them,  these  colonists  report  to  the 
Assyrian  king  that  they  can  not  live  there  unless  they 
are  taught  how  to  worship  the  gods  of  that  land,  and  that 
he  then  sent  back  to  them  one  of  the  priests  taken  away 
from  the  country.  He  came  and  dwelt  in  Bethel — prob- 
ably his  old  home — and  taught  them  how  they  should 
"  fear  the  Lord  "  (v.  28).  The  historian  is  careful  to  say, 
however,  that  they  kept  up  their  old  idol- worship  none 
the  less.  This  priest,  being  of  Jeroboam's  sort,  had,  we 
may  presume,  no  higher  ideas.  The  Samaritan  popula- 
tion, occupying  the  territory  held  by  the  ten  tribes, 
come  to  light  historically  in  connection  with  the  re- 
stored Jews  in  the  age  of  Ezra,  and  also  in  long  subse- 
quent ages,  e.  gr.,  in  the  time  of  our  Lord,  and  even  down 
to  our  own  times ;  but  how  much  their  religious  char- 
acter after  Ezra — their  Samaritan  worship  and  Samar- 
itan Pentateuch — stand  related  to  this  original  priest 
(2  Kings  17 :  27)  sent  back  by  the  king  of  Assyria  is 
one  of  the  very  doubtful  historic  questions.  The  subject 
will  come  up  again  in  the  history  of  Nehemiah's  ex- 
pulsion of  an  apostate  priest  who  had  married  into  the 
family  of  Sanballat  the  Horonite  (Neh.  13:  28.) 

It  is  in  place  here  to  speak  briefly  of  the  confirmations 
of  sacred  history  which  come  in  from  profane  sources 
during  the  separate  existence  of  Israel  and  Judah — i.  e., 
from  Jeroboam  I  (B.  C.  975)  to  Hoshea's  death  and  the 
captivity  of  the  ten  tribes  (B.  C.  722).  This  confirming 
testimony  may  be  conveniently  arranged  under  these 
heads,  showing  : 

1.  That  during  the  duration  of  the  Northern  kingdom, 
Egypt,  Moab,  Syria  (with  Damascus  for  its  capital)  and 
Assyria  (with  Nineveh  for  its  capital)  were  contempo- 
rary powers. 

2.  That  at  the  points  where  the  Scripture  record  pre- 
sents those  powers  in  war  with  Israel  or  Judah,  they 
were  in  fact  vigorous,  warlike,  aggressive;  i.  e.,  sus- 
taining such  a  character  as  is  implied  in  the  sacred  rec- 
ord.    This,  it  will  be  noticed,  is  an  advance  upon  the 


CONNECTIONS  OF  SACRED  HISTORY  WITH  PROFANE.  817 

preceding  point ;  for  those  kingdoms  were  subject  to 
great  variation  in  these  respects — were  sometimes  rela- 
tively weak  ;  again,  relatively  strong ;  were  at  some 
periods  able  or  disposed  to  act  only  on  the  defensive; 
at  other  periods,  they  were  vigorous  and  terribly  ag- 
gressive. 

3.  That  the  coincidences  between  the  sacred  history 
on  the  one  hand  and  the  profane  historians  and 
monuments  on  the  other,  extend  even  to  the  names  of 
prominent  kings  on  both  sides ;  some  names  of  Hebrew 
kings  as  given  in  Scripture  being  found  on  the  monu- 
ments of  these  foreign  kingdoms;  and,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  names  of  their  own  kings  as  on  their  monuments 
being  found  in  the  Hebrew  Scriptures. 

4.  Not  only  are  many  important  names  found  in  both 
histories — the  sacred  and  the  profane;  but  they  are 
found  as  contemporaries — chronologically  coincident. 

These  points  taken  in  connection  seem  to  me  to  com- 
plete the  confirmation  which  we  desire,  being  all  that 
truth  need  to  seek,  or  its  friends  to  require.  We  take 
up  these  foreign  kingdoms  separately. 

Of  Moah,  nothing  more  need  be  said  than  has  been 
already  presented  in  our  notice  of  the  "  Moabite  stone  " 
and  of  King  Mesha  on  page  296. 

EgyiJt  comes  into  view  politically  but  thrice.  First 
is  the  invasion  of  Judah  by  Shishak,  a  case  of  great  in- 
terest and  value,  presented  in  our  history  of  Rehoboam 

and  Judah. Next  is  the  invasion  of  Judah  in  the 

reign  of  Asa  by  Zerah  the  Ethiopian,  to  be  considered 

under  our  notice  of  Asa. The  third  occurs  in  the 

brief  record  of  Hoshea's  negotiations  with  So,  king  of 
Egypt,  for  help  against  Shalmanezer,  king  of  Assyria  (2 
Kings  17  :  4).  "  He  had  sent  messengers  to  So,  king  of 
Egypt,  and  brought  no  presents  to  the  king  of  Assyria, 
as  he  had  done  year  by  year." 

Who  was  this  "So?" — A  slight  disagreement  exists 
among  even  able  critics,  the  difference  lying  between 
Sabaco  and  Sevechus,  i.  e.,  between  the  first  king  and 
the  second,  of  the  2oth  Egyptian  dynasty,  which  was 
of  Ethiopian  origin.     Geo.  Rawlinson,  Usher,  Hitzig, 

favor  the  former ;  Gesenius,  Fuerst,  Kiel,  the  latter. 

The  letters  of  this  Hebrew  name  "^  are  most  easily  iden- 

*N1D 


318  CONNECTIONS  OF  SACRED  HISTORY  WITH  PROFANE. 

tified  with  Sevechus.*  The  date  of  his  reign  corre- 
sponds with  these  years  of  Hoshea.  Fuerst  sa3^s  he  sat 
on  the  throne  about  B.  C.  728,  which  would  be  six  years 
before  the  fall  of  Samaria. 

That  Egypt  should  be  in  hostile  attitude  toward 
Assyria,  is  of  course  to  be  assumed.  Historically,  we 
might  say  she  was  never  otherwise.  Their  interests  were 
always  antagonistic,  so  that  the  question  of  war  or  no 
war  as  between  them  was  only  a  question  of  power  to 
wage  it.  This  Ethiopian  dynasty  brought  to  the  throne 
of  Egypt  an  immense  accession  of  Ethiopian  allies — 
rude  men,  and  but  rudely  trained  in  the  military 
science  of  the  age ;  yet  with  their  aid,  Egypt  might 
dare  to  put  herself  in  antagonism  against  Assyria.  At 
a  point  a  few  years  later  than  this,  we  shall  see  Tirha- 
kah,  immediate  successor  of  Sevechus  (So),  threatening 
the  Assyrian  armies  in  Palestine  (2  Kings  19 :  9). 

Syria  (its  head  Damascus)  became  a  very  positive 
factor  in  the  political  and  military  relations  of  these 
two  Hebrew  kingdoms  from  Ahab  (1  Kings  20)  to 
Ahaz  of  Judah  (2  Kings  16).  Something  is  known  of 
the  Syria  of  this  age  through  its  own  historian,  Nicolas 
of  Damascus ;  but  as  yet  no  important  monumental  in- 
scriptions— such  as  have  been  found  in  the  ruins  of 
Nineveh — have  come  to  light.  The  Assyrian  inscrip- 
tions, however,  throw  some  light  on  Damascene  Syria. 

All  foreign  sources  of  historic  knowledge  concur 

with  the  sacred  Scriptures  in  the  general  character  and 
relations  of  Syria  during  the  ninth  century  B.  C.  She 
was  then  a  vigorous  power,  having  in  her  vicinity  the 
kingdom  of  Hamath;  the  kings  of  the  Hittites  and  of 
Phenicia — herself  the  most  powerful  among  them,  and 
often  in  alliance  with  some  or  all  of  them.  Her  war- 
force  lay  chiefly  in  her  infantry  and  in  chariots,  with 
relatively  very  few  horsemen.  Moreover,  all  accounts, 
sacred  and  profane,  concur  on  the  point  that  during 
this  period  the  great  eastern  empire  of  Assyria  lay 
unaggressively  upon  their  eastern  border,  occupied 
with  internal  dissensions,  or  for  other  reasons,  making 
no  warlike  demonstrations  westward. f 

*  Some  acquaintance  with  the  Hebrew  alphabet  and  its  relations  to 
the  Greek  (Sevechus),  and  also  to  the  hieroglyphic  characters,  woul^ 
be  necessary  in  order  to  trace  the  identity  cf  So  with  its  Greek  or 
Egyptian  equivalent. 

f  See  Rawlinson's  Historical  niustrations,  128,  129. 


CONNECTIONS  OF   SACRED  niSTORY  WITH  PROFANE.  319 

The  memorial  stone  known  as  "the  Black  Obelisk," 
now  in  the  British  Museum,  speaks  of  "  Ahab  of 
Jezreel"  as  joining  in  a  league  of  kings  against  the 
Assyrians,  and  furnishing  ten  thousand  footmen  and 
two  thousand  chariots.  Among  the  confederate  mon- 
arch s  was  Ben-hadad,  who  appears  in  the  Scriptures  as 
Ahab's  contemporary.  According  to  our  Scriptures 
Ben-hadad  had  wars  with  Ahab,  yet  there  was  at  least 
one  period — three  years  in  duration — of  peace  (1  Kings 
22 :  1).  The  special  interest  manifested  by  Ahab  in 
fostering  friendly  relations  with  his  "brother  Ben- 
hadad"  (1  Kings  20:  31-38)  finds,  perhaps,  its  explana- 
tion in  the  fact  that  they  both  had  great  reason  to  fear 
the  growing  power  of  Assyria,  and  saw  that  naturally 
their  common  interests  demanded  of  them  alliance  and 

not  hostility. Moreover,  the  Black  Obelisk  bears  the 

name  of  Jehu,  called,  however,  "son  of  Omri,"  perhaps 
because  they  kncAV  the  kingdom  of  Israel  as  attaining 
its  celebrity  under  Omri  the  builder  of  its  capital ;  also 
of  Hazael  who  succeeded  Ben-hadad.  Hazael  appears 
there  as  the  chief  antagonist  of  the  Assyrian  invaders 
of  Syria,  and  as  successor  to  Ben-hadad.  Jehu  (or,  as 
some  think,  Ahab,  really  the  son  of  Omri)  is  on  the 
Obelisk  as  sending  ambassadors  to  the  Assyrian  capital 
with  presents  or  tribute.^ 

The  ancient  Syrian  histories  are  in  accord  with 
Scripture  in  its  account  of  Ahab's  marriage  with 
Jezebel,  daughter  of  Ethbaal,  king  of  the  Zidonians 
(1  Kings  16:  31).  Dius  and  Menander  give  the  name 
of  this  king  Eithobalus.  They  make  him  the  sixth 
king  after  that  Hiram  with  whom  David  was  in 
league.  The  interval  between  Hiram  and  tliis  king 
they  make  fifty  years.  Assigning  to  him  a  reign  of 
thirt3^-t\vo  years,  they  make  him  contemporary  Avith 
Ahab.  They  state  also  that  Eithobalus  was  the  high 
priest  of  Astarte  [otherwise  Ashtaroth] — a  fact  which 
may  account  for  the  religious  fanaticism  of  his  daugh- 
ter. 

With  Assyria,  the  points  of  contact  are  somewhat 
numerous,  and  will  become  more  so  at  periods  yet  later. 

Of  Pul,  the  first  king  named  as  being  of  Ass^^ria, 

and  of  his  relations  to  Menahem,  king  of  Israel,  I  have 
spoken. 

*  Historical  Illastrations,  p.  127. 


320  REVIEW  OF   THE   NORTHERN   KINGDOM. 

Tiglath-Pileser  who  ascended  the  throne  of  Assyria, 
B.  C.  747,  came  into  collision  of  arms  with  Azariah, 
and  with  Ahaz,  kings  of  Judah  (of  which  more  notice 
will  be  taken  in  our  review  of  Judah) ;  also  with  Pekah 
and  Hoshea,  kings  of  Israel.  From  the  latter  he  ex- 
acted tribute.^ 

Shalmanezer  commenced  the  siege  of  Samaria.  Sar- 
gon,  his  successor,  claims  to  have  taken  the  city  in  the 
first  year  of  his  reign.  The  Scripture  records  are  so 
shaped  that  they  do  not  conflict  with  this  claim. 
While  it  is  said  definitely  that  Shalmanezer  laid  siege 
to  Samaria,  the  name  of  the  king  who  took  it  is  not 
given.  "They"  (the  Assyrian  forces)  "took  it"  (2 
Kings  18  :  10).  According  to  the  Assyrian  documents 
Sargon  came  to  the  throne  B.  C.  721  or  722.  Scripture 
chronologists  had  already,  on  independent  grounds, 
fixed  upon  these  as  the  alternative  years. 

The  coincidences  between  the  history  of  Assyria  and 
that  of  Judah  and  her  kings,  both  before  and  after  the 
fall  of  Samaria,  will  be  treated  in  their  place. 

The  History  of  the  Ten  Tribes  Reviewed  in  its  Moral  Aspects. 

Morally  considered,  the  fall  of  this  northern  kingdom 

is  one  of  the  great  events  of  Hebrew  history. The 

revolt  of  ten  tribes  from  Rehoboam  rent  asunder  the 
kingdom  as  it  stood  in  its  greatness  under  David  and 
Solomon.  Their  continual,  persistent  decline — relig- 
ious, moral,  and,  therefore,  political — wrought  their 
ruin.  It  was  only  after  they  had  thoroughly  j^roved 
themselves  faithless  to  God  and  incorrigibly  so  that 
they  were  given  over  of  him  to  their  righteous  doom. 

Let  it  be  remembered  this  doom  of  national  destruc- 
tion had  been  predicted  long  before,  even  by  Moses 
(Lev.  26,  and  Deut.  28),  and  this  prediction  the  Lord 
through  his  prophets   missed  no  good  opportunity  to 

reaffirm. Note  also  that  whereas,  under  the  national 

policy  of  Jeroboam,  they  had  in  the  outset  severed 
themselves  from  the  Mosaic  Institutions,  especially  the 
temple  worship  and  the  national  festivals — a  step 
which  seemed  to  Jeroboam  a  necessity  of  their  sej^arate 
national  existence — the  Lord  graciously  sought  to  sup- 
ply this  lack  by  a  specially  vigorous  development  of 

*  Historical  Illustrations,  135,  136. 


REVIEW   OF   THE    NORTHERN   KINGDOM.  321 

religious  agency  through  the  prophets.  In  very  many 
respects  this  seems  to  have  been  a  really  higher  agency 
— at  least,  one  more  directly  religious  and  spiritual. 
It  was  sustained  remarkably  by  miracle,  as  we  have 
seen  particularly  in  the  case  of  Elijah  and  Elisha ;  also 
b}^  wonderful  interpositions  of  God  by  means  of  drought 
and  famine ;  also  by  various  national  events — wars, 
deliverances.  These  were  of  a  sort  admirably  adapted 
to  impress,  not  only  the  king  and  his  court,  but  the 
whole  people,  with  a  due  sense  of  their  obligation  to 
Jehovah,  and  of  the  supreme  wisdom  of  banishing  all 
idols,  and  of  giving  their  worship  and  service  exclu- 
sively to  their  own  Almight}^  God. 

To  all  this  we  must  add  the  labors  of  those  prophets 
who  not  only  spake  but  wrote,  putting  their  messages 
in  permanent  written  form  and  scattering  them  we 
know  not  hovf  widely  among  the  people.  Of  these,  we 
have  among  the  northern  tribes  Hosea  and  Amos  cer- 
tainly ;  and  Micah  seems  to  have  some  reference  to  this 
kingdom.  It  was  only  after  all  these  efforts  had  proved 
unavailing  that  the  Lord  at  length  gave  them  up — 
Hosea  indicates  in  more  passages  than  one  with  what 
wonderful  tenderness  of  emotion  and  after  what  touch- 
ing admonitions  and  warnings.  It  was  through  his 
lips  and  pen  that  the  Lord  said :  "  How  shall  I  give 
thee  up,  Ephraim  ?  How  shall  I  deliver  tliee,  Israel  ? 
How  shall  I  make  thee  as  Admah?  How  shall  I  set 
thee  as  Zeboim?  My  heart  is  turned  within  me;  my 
repentings  are  kindled  together"  (Hos.  11 :  8). 

The  fall  of  the  northern  kingdom  was  purposely 
made  admonitory  to  the  southern.  It  could  not  be  oth- 
erwise than  a  solemn  warning  to  Judah.  We  can  not 
say  definitely  how  powerful  the  influence  of  this  final 
fall  and  captivity  of  Samaria  was  upon  the  people  of 
Judah  in  promoting  the  great  reform  wrought  by  Heze- 
kiah.  This  reform  he  commenced  in  his  first  year,  six 
years  before  the  final  conquest ;  but  continued  it  with 
efforts  more  or  less  vigorous  throughout  his  reign  of 
twenty-nine  years.  Consequently,  under  the  "  logic  of 
events  "  the  great  ftict  was  bearing  upon  his  people  of 
God's  exterminating  judgments  upon  that  apostate 
nation.  It  was  of  yet  more  value  to  them  because  its 
date  (after  this  great  reform  commenced)  gave  them 
the  opportunity  to  invite  their  brethren  of  the  north  to 


322  REHOBOAM. 

come  in  and  join  them  in  this  general  turning  to  the 
Lord.  In  our  study  of  that  reform  we  shall  see  how 
intimately  they  must  have  become  acquainted  with 
the  religious  state  of  the  northern  kingdom ;  how 
clearly  they  must  have  seen  and  felt  their  fearful 
apostasy  from  God,  and  the  incorrigible  hardness  of  the 
masses;  and  how  powerfully  this  must  have  augmented 
the  moral  effect  of  that  terrific  judgment,  which,  almost 
before  this  great  reform  had  culminated,  became  a  fear- 
ful fact  before  their  ej'es. 

After  the  fall  of  the  northern  kingdom  prophets  be- 
came more  conspicuous  in  Judah.  Released  from  ser- 
vice in  the  north,  they  concentrated  their  labors  upon 
the  only  remaining  kingdom,  uniting  in  one  grand 
effort  to  save  Judah  from  the  same  threatening  doom. 
We  meet  no  further  notice  of  the  prophet-colleges  at 
Bethel,  Gilgal,  and  Jericho.  They  may  or  they  may 
not  have  continued  in  operation.  Those  localities  were 
not  remote  from  Jerusalem,  but  no  historic  allusions  to 
their  work  or  even  to  their  existence  have  come  down 
to  us. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

History  of  the  Kingdom  of  Judah. 

From  Rehoboam  (B.  C.  975)  to  Zedekiah  (B.  C.  588) 
the  sacred  history  appears  chiefly  in  2  Chron.  chaps. 
10-36;  but  partly  in  the  book  of  Kings — for  the  period 
prior  to  the  fall  of  the  northern  kingdom  in  1  Kings 
12-22,  and  2  Kings  1-17;  and  subsequently  to  Hoshea, 
in  chaps.  18-25. 

Both  our  histories  (Kings  and  Chronicles)  recite  the 
grounds  of  the  secession  of  the  ten  tribes;  state  that 
Rehoboam  at  first  summoned  his  whole  army  to  compel 
submission ;  but  that  God's  prophet  forbade  it.  Beyond 
this  the  author  of  Kings  gives  few  particulars,  save 
that  Rehoboam  and  his  people  ''did  evil  before  the 
Lord ;  "  built  the  high  places  for  idol-worship,  and  prac- 
ticed the  abominations  of  the  heathen.  For  these  sins 
the  Lord  sent  upon  them  Shishak,  king  of  Egypt,  who 
came  to  Jerusalem  and  robbed  the  temple  of  its  treas- 
ures, and  especially  of  the  shields  of  gold  which  Solo- 
mon had  made. 


REHOBOAM.  323 

The  author  of  Chronicles  adds  many  more  particu- 
lars; e.  g.,  that  after  the  revolt  Rehoboam  set  himself  to 
building  and  fortifying  cities  (2  Chron.  11 :  5-10);  that 
the  priests  and  Levites  came  to  him  from  all  Israel ; 
and  besides  these,  all  who  sought  the  Lord  and  were 
unwilling  to  forego  the  national  worship  of  their 
fathers'  God  at  Jerusalem.  These  classes  were  the  best 
elements  of  the  nation's  strength,  and  added  greatly  to 
the  resources  and  stability  of  Rehoboam's  kingdom. 
Particularly  it  is  said  "  they  made  him  strong  three 
years ;  for  three  years  they  walked  in  the  ways  of  David 

and  Solomon." Subsequently  under  a  false  sense  of 

strength,  Rehoboam  forsook  the  law  of  the  Lord  and  all 
the  people  with  him.  For  this  apostasy  the  Lord  sent 
upon  him  Shishak  with  1200  chariots ;  60,000  horsemen ; 
and  infantry  without  number.  They  took  all  the  forti- 
fied cities  of  Judah.  At  this  point  the  tone  of  the  nar- 
rative (2  Chron.  12 : 4-12)  implies  that  although  Shishak 
carried  the  other  strong  cities  by  storm  or  siege,  yet  the 
Lord  spared  Jerusalem  the  horrors  of  both  siege  and 
storm,  because  Rehoboam  and  his  princes,  admonished 
by  the  prophet  Shemaiah,  humbled  themselves  before 
the  Lord.  "  God's  wrath  was  not  poured  out  upon  Jeru- 
salem by  the  hand  of  Shishak."  He  only  came  into  the 
city  and  pillaged  the  temple.  The  author  of  Chronicles 
labors  to  make  the  point  very  clear  that  it  was  only 
because  of  their  repentance  and  humiliation  before  God 
that  he  softened  the  severity  of  this  punishment.  It 
was  while  Rehoboam  and  his  princes  were  holding  a 
council  of  war  over  this  invasion  that  Shemaiah  the 
prophet  brought  the  Lord's  message  of  rebuke :  "  Ye 
have  forsaken  me  ;  therefore  have  I  left  you  in  the  hand 
of  Shishak."  Whereupon  they  humbled'themselves  and 
said,  "  The  Lord  is  righteous."  When  the  Lord  saw  this, 
he  relaxed  the  severity  of  this  scourge.  "The  wrath  of 
the  Lord  turned  from  Rehoboam  that  he  would  not  de- 
stroy him  altogether;  also  in  Judah,  things  went  well*." 
So  evermore  in  God's  government  over  nations,  guilt,  per- 
sisted in,  measures  retribution  accurately;  but  repentance 
and  humiliation  never  pass  unnoticed — always  bring 
some  relaxation;  often  the  full  arrest  of  punishment. 

At  this  point  the  coincidence  of  sacred  history  with 
profane — Rehoboam's  fifth  year,  with  this  invasion  of 
Shifihak,  king  of  Egypt — demands  special  attention. 


324  sHisHAK  identifip:d. 

In  the  Scriptures  Sbishak  appears  first  in  1  Kings  11 : 
40,  as  then  the  king  of  Egypt  to  whom  Jeroboam  fled 
for  protection  from  Solomon.  This  fact  indicates  a  de- 
cisive change  in  the  policy  of  the  Egyptian  court  since 
Solomon  took  to  wife  the  daughter  of  the  reigAiing 
monarch.  It  suggests  another  d}' nasty,  of  other,  not  to 
say  opposite,  sympathies  and  policy.  In  harmony  wdth 
this  we  find  that  Shishak  (the  Sheshonk  of  the  Egypt- 
ian monuments)  was  the  founder  of  a  new  dynasty,  the 
22d.  He  was  not  on  the  best  terms  with  Solomon  and 
readily  took  Jeroboam  into  his  confidence  and  friend- 
ship. Naturally,  therefore,  he  only  waited  for  the  favor- 
able moment  to  make  this  formidable  military  campaign 
into  Palestine  in  the  interests  of  his  friend  Jeroboam. 

Early  in  the  present  century  during  the  exploration 
of  Egyptian  ruins  which  commenced  with  Napoleon's 
occupation  of  the  country,  the  monumental  record  of 
this  identical  invasion  of  Palestine  by  Shishak  was  dis- 
covered, sculptured  upon  the  walls  of  the  great  temple 
of  Karnak.  "It  was  a  list  of  the  countries,  cities,  and 
tribes,  conquered  or  ruled  by  him  or  tributary  to  him." 
This  list  as  copied  in  Smith's  Bible  Dictionary  (Shishak) 
runs  up  to  133,  of  which  No.  29  was  at  first  read  and 
believed  to  be — The  kingdom  of  Judah.  Subsequent 
studies  of  the  hieroglyphic  alphabet  have  created  a 
measure  of  doubt  as  to  the  correctness  of  this  rendering 
of  the  name.  But  these  doubts  can  in  no  wise  weaken 
the  evidence  that  this  inscription  gives  the  monu- 
mental history  of  this  very  invasion  by  Shishak.  A 
large  number  of  the  cities  of  Palestine  are  unquestion- 
ably identified.  Egyptologists  were  at  first  surprised  to 
find  many  cities  on  this  list  that  were  known  to  be  lo- 
cated within  the  ten  tribes,  and  therefore  were  assumed 
to  belong  to  Jeroboam.  How,  it  was  asked,  is  this,  that 
Shishak  assaults  and  captures  the  cities  of  his  old 
friend?  At  length  Dr.  Brugsch  noticed  that  these  w^ere 
all  cities  either  of  the  Levites  or  of  the  old  Canaanites ; 
— the  former  in  well  known  sympathy  with  liehoboam, 
and  the  latter  perhaps  had  not  yet  given  in  their  alle- 
giance to  Jeroboam.  What  had  before  seemed  inexi:>lic- 
able  now  became  clear.  Shishak  was  fulfilling  the 
double  purpose — first  of  fattening  his  army  on  the  pil- 
lage of  cities;  and  second,  of  bringing  those  cities  into 
subjection  to  Jeroboam. 


ASA,   KING   OP  JUDAH.  325 

Chronologically,  this  invasion  is  generally  supposed  to 
have  been  made  in  the  twentieth  year  of  Shishak,  which 
corresponds  with  the  fifth  of  Rehoboam.  Some  vincer- 
tainty  hangs  over  all  the  chronology  of  this  period, 
Hebrew  or  Egyptian ;  but  this  coincidence  is  as  w^ell 
established  as  any  point  in  that  age  of  the  world. 

The  history  of  Abijah,  king  of  Juclah^  (called  Abijam 
in  the  book  of  Kings)  has  been  fully  presented  above 
(pages  261,  262). 

After  his  reign  of  three  years,  his  son  Asa  succeeded 
him  with  a  reign  of  41  years.  The  author  of  Kings  (as 
noticed  above),  relates  that  Asa  ruled  for  the  most  part 
righteously;  removed  the  queen-mother  "because  she 
had  made  an  idol  in  a  grove;"  hired  Ben-hadad  to 
attack  the  northern  cities  of  Baasha  in  order  to  compel 

him  to  desist  from  fortifying  Ramah. At  this  point 

the  author  of  Kings  drops  his  history;  but  the  author 
of  Chronicles  continues  it,  informing  us  that  the  Lord 
sent  Hanani  the  seer  to  rebuke  him  for  relying  on  the 
king  of  Syria  and  not  upon  his  own  Jehovah.  In  this 
expostulation,. the  seer  refers  to  a  great  victory  which 
God  had  previously  given  Asa  over  an  immense  host  of 
Ethiopians  and  Lubims  under  Zerah.  "  Because  thou 
didst  rely  on  Jehovah,  he  delivered  them  into  thine 
hand.  For  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  run  to  and  fro  through- 
out the  whole  earth  to  show  himself  strong  in  behalf  of 
him  -whose  heart  is  perfect  toward  him.  Herein  (^.  e., 
in  going  for  help  to  Ben-hadad  and  not  to  Jehovah) 
thou  hast  done  foolishly ;  tlierefore  from  henceforth  thou 

shalt  have  wars." It  was  a  sad  infirmity  in  so  good 

a  man — a  great  sin  indeed — for  we  can  not  say  less  of 
it — that  "  Asa  was  wroth  with  this  prophet,  and  put 
him  in  a  prison-house ;  for  he  was  in  a  rage  with  him 
because  of  this."  This  double  sin — rebelling  against 
God,  and  punishing  God's  prophet,  as  if  he  and  not  God 
was  responsible  for  this  message,  manifestly  brought 
upon  him  a  painful  disease  in  his  feet — under  which, 
it  is  said,  "  he  sought  help,  not  from  the  Lord,  but  from 
his  physicians."  Alas,  the  folly  and  the  sin!  Did  he 
die  at  last  under  this  scourge;  and  worse  yet — with  his 
heart  still  in  rebellion  against  God  ?  The  vail  of  silence 
(on  this  point)  drops  over  him.  He  was  buried  with 
most  ample  earthly  honors;  fragrant  spices  were  burned 
over  his  mortal  remains;  but  the  fragrance  of  penitent 


326  ASA   AND   ZERAH   THE    ETHIOPIAN. 

tears  on  his  sick-bed  would  have  improved  this  record 
immensely.  As  it  is,  we  get  from  it  a  solemn  admoni- 
tion against  clouding  the  close  of  a  historic  life,  in 
many  respects  brilliant  and  worthy,  with  such  proofs 
of  a  rebellious  spirit  against  God  and  God's  honest  ser- 
vants. 

We  turn  back  to  note  more  particularly  the  great 
events  of  his  life,  the  record  of  which  we  find,  not  in 
Kings  but  in  Chronicles.  (See  2  Chron.  14:  9  and  15)  : 
The  first  was  an  invasion  of  his  kingdom  by  Zerah,  the 
Ethiopian,  leading  a  host  of  a  million  of  men  with  three 
hundred  war-chariots.  The  location  of  the  great  battle, 
in  the  valley  of  Zephathah,  at  or  near  Mareshah,  far  in 
the  south-west  districts  of  Judah,  shows  that  Zerah  en- 
tered Palestine  from  the  south-west,  and  was  still  in 
the  plains,  yet  just  on  the  border  of  the  hill  country  of 
Judah.  The  prayer  of  Asa  in  the  face  of  this  great 
battle  is  here  on  record  (2  Chron.  14 :  11) — every  thought 
and  sentiment  in  it  most  admirable — thus  :  "  Lord,  it  is 
nothing  with  thee  to  help,  whether  with  many,  or  with 
them  that  have  no  power;  help  us,  O  Lord  our  God; 
for  we  rest  on  thee,  and  in  thy  name  we  go  against  this 
multitude.    O  Lord,  thou  art  God;  let  not  man  prevail 

against  thee." This   prayer  put  the  king   and   his 

people  under  the  protection  of  the  Almighty,  and 
brought  forth  his  uplifted  arm  in  their  behalf.  IIow, 
by  what  special  agencies,  the  half  million  men  of  Asa's 
army  (v.  8),  supposing  them  all  present,  drove,  routed, 
and  almost  utterly  annihilated  this  million  of  enemies 
— we  are  not  told.  It  is  only  said  that  "  the  Lord  smote 
the  Ethiopians  before  Asa  and  before  Judah,  and  the 
Ethiopians  fled."  The  victorious  host  pursued  the  flee- 
ing to  Gerar,  full  twenty  miles,  and  took  immense  spoil. 
The  victory  was  most  decisive :  it  broke  the  arm  of 
Egypt's  strength  for  a  full  generation. 

This  Zerah  is  usually  identified  with  Usarken  II, 
fourth  king  of  the  twenty-second  Egyptian  dynasty/^ 
who  is  supposed  to  have  been  by  birth  an  Ethiopian, 
and  to  have  hold  the  throne  of  Egypt  on  the  double 
ground  of  an  alliance  between  the  two  kingdoms,  and 

*  Poole  in  Smith's  Bible  Dictionary  ["  Zerah  "]  expresses  doubt 
between  Usarken  I,  and  Usai-ken  II;  the  former  the  second,  and  the 
latter  the  fourth  king  of  this  dynasty ;  but  on  the  whole  favors  the 
latter. 


ASA   AND    ZERAH   THE    ETHIOPIAN.  327 

b}^  right  of  his  wife,  the  lineal  heir  to  the  Egyptian 
throne.  Chronologically  there  is  accord  between  the 
sacred  dates  and  the  Egyptian — the  battle  having  oc- 
curred about  the  fourteenth  year  of  Asa,  i.  e.j  B.  C.  940. 

The  impulses  of  this  wonderful  victory  were  wisely 
turned  to  account  in  promoting  religious  reform  in 
Judah.  "  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came  upon  Azariah, 
son  of  Oded  (this  Oded  being  perhaps  but  a  different 
form  of  the  name  Iddo),  and  he  went  forth  to  meet  Asa, 
returning  under  the  yet  fresh  impressions  of  this  great 
deliverance.  "  Hear  ye  me,"  said  he,  "Asa  and  all  Judah 
and  Benjamin.  The  Lord  is  with  you  while  ye  be 
with  him ;  and  if  ye  seek  him,  he  will  be  found  of  you  ; 

but  if  ye  forsake  him,  he  will  forsake  you." How 

briefly  and  yet  how  truthfully  put ! He  proceeded  to 

speak  of  the  many  seasons  of  religious  declension  occur- 
ring in  their  past  history.  In  v.  3,  "  Now  for  a  long  sea- 
son" should  rather  be — at  many  seasons — referring  to  the 
period  of  the  Judges,  as  well  as  other  seasons  subse- 
quent. In  these  declensions  there  was  no  teaching  of 
God  by  priests  or  by  the  written  law,  and  there  was  the 
greatest  insecurity  of  life  and  instability  of  thrones. 
He  exhorted  them  to  be  strong  in  faith  and  full  of  cour- 
age and  confidence  in  God.  This  must  of  course  be 
understood  to  imply  that  they  purge  away  all  vestiges 
of  idolatry  and  give  their  heart  and  worship  to  the  true 

God  only. To  this  reform  Asa  and  his  people  set 

themselves  earnestly.  All  who  had  faith  in  Israel's 
God  gathered  together,  not  from  Judah  and  Benjamin 
only, but  "the  strangers  with  them  outof  Ephraim  and 
Manasseh  and  out  of  Samaria ;  for  they  fell  to  him  out  of 
Israel  in  abundance  when  they  saw  that  the  Lord  his 
God  was  with  him." 

They  renewed  their  covenant  to  seek  the  God  of  their 
fathers  with  all  their  heart  and  with  all  their  soul, 
confirming  it  with  the  solemn  oath,  and  with  trumpets, 
and  with  cymbals  :^a  thrilling  scene  indeed,  of  appar- 
ently most  hearty  and  joyous  consecration.  "  All 
Judah  rejoiced  at  the  oath,  for  they  had  sworn  with  all 
their  heart,  and  sought  him  with  their  whole  desire, 
and  he  was  found  of  them.     And  the  Lord  gave  them 

rest  round  about." It  is  pleasant  to  think  of  this 

revival  as  thoroughly  national,  seizing  upon  the  awak- 
ened souls  of  the  whole  people  under  the  impulses  of 


328  jehoShaphat. 

this  wonderful  victory,  and  bearing  all  hearts  in  unison 
back  to  the  God  of  their  fathers  in  solemn  and  most 
jo3'ful  consecration. It  is  to  be  hoped  that  this  re- 
form was  followed  up  with  better  religious  instruction 
of  the  whole  people,  and  with  more  or  less  enduring 
results  of  improved  religious  life. 

Jehoshaphat. 

The  author  of  Chronicles  devotes  four  chapters  (2 
Chron.  17-20)  to  this  good  king,  of  which  chap.  18  ap- 
pears substantially  in  1  Kings  22.  The  historical  matter 
in  the  other  chapters  is  chiefly  new — not  found  in  Kings. 

As  the  most  exceptionable  points  of  his  life  grew 

out  of  his  affinity  with  Ahab,  it  results  naturally  that 
the  author  of  Kings,  writing  up  Ahab  fully,  gives  the 
darker  side  of  Jehoshaphat.  The  new  matter  which 
comes  in  2  Chron.  presents  the  better  side,  viz.,  his 
noble  endeavors  in  the  very  beginning  of  his  reign  to 
revive  religious  instruction  in  his  kingdom  (chap.  17 : 
3-9) ;  his  effort,  after  the  failure  of  his  campaign  with 
Ahab,  to  reorganize  and  purify  the  judiciary  system 
(chap.  19)  ;  and  the  great  victory  through  prayer  and 
song  which  the  Lord  gave  him  over  the  combined  forces 
of  Moab,  Amnion,  and  Edom  (chap.  20). 

Reviewing  briefly  these  staple  facts  of  his  history,  I 
note  the  remark  (17 :  3)  that  ''  he  walked  in  the  first 
ways  of  his  fiither  David," — which  some  critics  would 
amend  by  striking  out  Davld^  thus  making  the  passage 
refer  to  his  father  Asa  whose  first  ways  were  better 
tlian  his  last.  But  the  same  might  be  said  (qualifiedly) 
of  David.  His  first  ways  were  without  blemish  ;  but 
not  so  his  last.  The  true  principle  of  textual  criticism 
is,  never  to  change  the  text  arbitrarily  where  it  gives  a 

fairly  tolerable  sense  as  it  stands. In  v.  6,  we  read 

that  "  his  heart  was  lifted  up  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord" 
— not,  however,  as  this  verb  often  means,  in  pride,  but 

in  strength,  in  true  dignity,  in  moral  heroism. In 

vs.  7-9,  it  should  be  noticed  that  the  king  sent  out  on 
this  missionary  tour  of  public  religious  instruction  five 
princes,  laymen  ;  nine  Levites,  and  two  priests.  Some 
critics  are  perplexed  over  the  question — What  had  these 
laymen  to  do  in  this  work?  Surely  (say  they)  it  can 
not  be  that  this  good  king  sent  them  to  teach.     But  this 


JEHOSHAPHAT,    AND    HIS   REFORMS.  329 

is  the  very  thing  the  author  says.  And  thoy  may  have 
been  very  capable.  Their  presence,  doubtless,  gave 
prestige  and  influence  to  this  mission.  Let  it  be  hoped 
that  this  noble  king  was  not  trammeled  by  any  restric- 
tive scruples  about  the  right  or  even  the  propriety  of 
putting  laymen  into  this  service — so  be  it  they  were 

capable  and  worthy. Noticeably,  ''they  taught   in 

Judah,  and  had  the  book  of  the  law  with  them,  and 
went  about  throughout  all  the  cities  of  Judah  and 
taught  the  people."  This  "  book  of  the  law  "  could  not 
have  included  less  than  the  five  books  of  Moses.  Had 
they  each  a  copy?  Or  was  this  whole  mission  of  six- 
teen men  subdivided  into  several,  with  one  or  more 

copies  to  each  party? How  often  and  in  what  way 

did  they  convene  the  people  ?  On  Sabbaths  only  ?  Or 
did  their  daj^s  of  public  service  include  others— say  the 
semi-sacred  days  of  the  Hebrew  system — the  new 
moons,  and  the  protracted  seasons  of  their  three  great 
religious  festivals?  Or  did  they  hold  protracted  meet- 
ings consecutively,  up  to  the  measure  of  their  strength, 
on  the  modern  missionary  touring  system?  These 
points  of  detail  are  left  unrecorded.  We  may  be  sure 
it  was  a  grand  and  noble  enterprise,  and  may  trust 
that  it  bore  along  with  it  waves  of  the  waters  of  salva- 
tion. 

During  this  religious  instruction  of  the  people,  the 
fear  of  the  Lord  fell  on  all  adjacent  kingdoms,  restrain- 
ing them  from  war  upon  Judah.  Some  of  the  Philis- 
tines brought  Jehoshaphat  presents,  and  a  large  amount 
of  silver.  [The  word  used,  v.  11,  seems  to  mean,  not 
tribute-silver,  but  burdens  of  silver].  Arabian  tribes 
also  brought  him  sheep  and  he-goats  in  large  numbers, 

here  specified. The   statements   given  here  of  the 

size  of  his  standing  army  stagger  belief,  and  compel  us 
to  assume  an  error  of  some  copyist.  Here  are  five 
divisions  of  the  army — three  from  Judah,  and  two  from 
Benjamin — who  waited  on  the  king,  besides  his  gar- 
risons in  the  fortified  cities  of  Judah.  Noticeably,  the 
total  is  precisely  double  the  army  of  King  Asa  as  in  2 

Chron.  14 :  8. The  Speaker's  Commentary  estimates 

that  such  an  army  implies  a  maximum  population  of 
1480  to  the  square  mile — fully  three  times  as  dense  as 
in  any  known  country  of  our  age. 

Jehoshaphat's  second  branch  of  reform  (2  Chron.  10) 
15 


330  jEiiosnAPHAT  invaded;  delivered. 

had  special  reference  to  the  administration  of  law — the 
judiciary  s^^stem.  We  read — "  He  went  out  again 
through  the  people  from  Beersheha  to  Mt.  Ephraim 
and  brought  them  back  to  the  Lord  God  of  their 
fathers"  (v.  4).  "And  he  set  judges  in  the  land 
throughout  all  the  fenced  [fortified]  cities  of  Judah 
city  by  city."  Apparently  the  king  with  his  cabinet 
made  the  tour  of  the  whole  land,  and  reorganized  the 
judiciary  under  their  own  personal  inspection ;  for  the 
last  clause  of  v.  8,  records  their  return  to  Jerusalem — 
a  clause  which  is  but  imperfectly  translated  and  unfor- 
tunately arranged  in  the  division  into  verses.  It 
should  be  the  first  clause  of  v.  9  ;  "  And  then  they  (the 

king  and  his  attendants)  returned  to  Jerusalem." It 

is  not  entirely  clear  whether  this  reform  introduced  a 
new  system,  or  merely  modified  an  old  one — reenforcing 
it  with  better  men,  under  rules  more  fully  defined,  and 
with  fresh  impulses  toward  justice  and  righteousness. 
The  principles  he  laid  down  are  admirable — a  fine 
model  for  an  upright  judiciary  in  whatever  age  of  the 
world  and  for  whatever  people. 

Judah  Invaded  by  the  Allied  Annies  of  3Ioah,  Ammon,  and 
Edom.     (2  Chron.  20.) 

The  salient  points  of  this  invasion  and  its  results  are 
striking  and  richly  instructive.  It  was  an  immense 
army;  they  advanced  upon  Jerusalem  from  the  south, 
having  organized  at  the  south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea  and, 
marched  northward  along  its  western  shore.  They  had 
already  reached  Engedi,  some  twenty -five  miles  from 
Jerusalem,  when  the  movement  was  fully  reported  to 
Jehoshaphat.  He  saw  the  danger  and  set  himself  to 
seek  the  Lord  earnestly  by  prayer  and  a  day  of  national 
fasting.  The  nation  gathered  together  for  prayer,  Je- 
hoshaphat leading  them  in  words  here  on  record. 
Alluding  to  Solomon's  prayer  at  the  dedication  of  the 
temple,  he  assumes  that  this  is  a  case  in  point — "  evil 
coming  upon  the  land" — in  this  case  the  sword;  "the 
people  standing  in  this  house,"  the  temple  "  in  thy 
])resence"  (for  thy  name  is  in  this  house)  "crying  unto 
thee  in  our  afiliction ;  thou  wilt  hear  and  help."  He 
cries  to  God  to  look  upon  tlieir  enemies,  coming  up  to 
drive  them  out  from  the  land  God  had  given  them,  and 


JEHOSHAPHAT  INVADED  ;   DELIVERED.  331 

prays — "0  our  God,  wilt  thou  not  judge  them?  for  we 
have  no  might  against  this  great  company  that  cometh 
against  us,  neither  know  we  what  to  do;  but  our  eyes 

are  unto  thee." Such  an  appeal  God  never  fails  to 

hear.  In  this  case  he  answered  by  sending  his  Spirit 
mightily  upon  one  of  his  prophets — Jahaziel — Avho 
said — "  Be  not  afraid  nor  dismayed  by  reason  of  this 
great  multitude  ;  for  the  battle  is  not  yours  but  God's. 
To-morrow  go  ye  down  against  them,  but  ye  shall  not 
need  to  fight  in  this  battle:  set  yourselves;  stand  ye 
still  and  see  the  salvation  of  the  Lord  with  you,  for  the 

Lord  will  be  with  you." Jehoshaphat  bowed  to  the 

earth  in  grateful,  joyful  assent ;  all  Jerusalem  fell  be- 
fore the  Lord  in  worship ;  the  Levites  stood  up  to  praise 
the  Lord  God  of  Israel  with  loud  voice  on  high.  As  the 
army  marched  forth  Jehoshaphat  gave  them  his  mili- 
tary orders  :  "  Believe  in  the  Lord  your  God,  so  shall  ye 
be  established:  believe  his  prophets, so  shall  ye  prosper." 
In  the  forefront  of  his  men  of  war  marched  the  great 
choir,  "  praising  the  beauty  of  holiness,"  singing  in  vast 
chorus  :  "  Praise  ye  the  Lord,  for  his  mercy  endureth 
forever."     "  When  they  began  to  sing  and  to  praise,  the 

Lord  set  ambushments." We  must  pause  a  moment 

here  to  ask  the  meaning  of  these  words.  The  sense  of 
the  Hebrew  word  for  "  ambushments  "  is  clear — viz..  Hers 
in  wait ;  but  who  were  they?  Not  men  of  Judah — for 
two  reasons  :  (a.)  They  were  not  to  fight  but  to  stand 
still  and  see  God's  salvation,  (b.)  They  had  not  yet 
reached  the  scene  of  the  battle  and  did  not  reach  it  till 
their  enemies  lay  strown  in  death  over  all  that  bloody 

field. As  the  Lord  was  by  promise  to  bear  a  direct 

hand  in  that  fighting,  we  must  accept  the  ancient  in- 
terpretation— viz.,  that  these  liers  in  wait  were  God's 
angel-hosts,  commencing  the  fight  by  surprising  and 
smiting  with  panic;  then,  perhaps,  leaving  those  allied 
armies  to  devour  one  another— first,  IMoab  and  Amnion 
against  Seir  till  Seir  was  utterl}^  cut  in  pieces  ;  then 
Moab  against  Amnion  till  they  were  in  turn  destroyed. 
When  the  men  of  Judah  had  reached  the  higli  lands 
which  overlooked  this  battle-field,  lo,  tlieir  vast  hosts 
were  dead  bodies  fallen  to  the  earth,  and  none -escaped. 

Of  course  the  spoil  was  immense — work  for  three 

days'  gathering. But  more   to  our  purpose   is   the 

grateful  recognition  of  God's  mercy  made  by  the  army 


332  JEHOSHAPHAT  TRIUMPHANT. 

of  Judah  ill  the  valley  of  Berachah — this  name  being 
significant  of  blessing — a  name  which  the  place  bears  to 
this  day.  If  we  would  like  to  see  the  song  they  sung, 
w^e  may  be  gratified ;  for  there  can  be  scarcel}^  the  least 
doubt  that  it  is  preserved  to  us  in  Psalm  47 — every 
word,  sentiment,  and  allusion  of  which  meets  the  cir- 
cumstances of  this  case  to  perfection.  We  may  almost 
hear  the  glorious  shout  of  that  army-host:  "O  clap 
your  hands,  all  ye  people;  shout  unto  God  with  the 
voice  of  triumph.  For  the  Lord  Most  High  is  terrible ; 
he  is  a  Great  King  over  all  the  earth."  (Had  he  not 
been  proving  this  before  their  very  e3^es?)  "He  shall 
choose  our  inheritance  for  us."  (Jehoshaphat's  prayer 
suggested  that  their  enemies  meant  to  root  them  out; 
their  song  glorifies  God  for  renewing  to  them  his  grant  of 
Canaan.)  "  God  is  gone  up  with  a  shout ;  the  Lord  with 
the  sound  of  a  trumpet."  (Having  been  down  into  the 
fight  and  utterly  vanquished  his  foes,  what  remained 
but  that  he  should  go  up  with  the  victor's  song  of  tri- 
umph?) And  so  the  Psalm  closes  with  a  call  for  loud- 
est praises  to  the  God  of  their  salvation.  [See  my  notes 
on  Psalm  47.] 

Still  onward  we  read  that  [without  the  loss  of  a  man] 
they  "returned,  every  man  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem, 
with  Jehoshaphat  in  the  forefront  of  them  to  go  again 

to  Jerusalem  with  joy." "  And  they  came 

to  Jerusalem  with  psalteries  and  harps  and  trumpets 
unto  the  house  of  the  Lord."  Here  there  was  yet  more 
song,  not  of  instruments  alone,  but  of  voices  also,  and 
with  fitting  words.  Psalm  48  [the  next  in  order]  meets 
this  occasion  so  perfectly  as  to  identify  it  beyond  rea- 
sonable question.  "  Great  is  the  Lord  and  greatly  to  bo 
praised  in  the  city  of  our  God,  in  the  mountain  of  his 
holiness.  Beautiful  for  situation,  the  joy  of  the  whole 
earth  is  Mt.  Zion  on  the  sides  of  the  north — the  city  of 
the  Great  King."  Never  before  was  Jerusalem  more 
beautiful  in  their  eyes,  standing  unharmed,  its  dangers 
passed  away;  its  palaces  in  all  their  splendor;  its  tem- 
ple radiant  with  glory.  God  had  made  himself  known 
there  for  a  refuge.  True,  the  kings  [of  the  south]  had 
been  assembled  against  her;  but  "trouble  came  upon 

them  and  they  hasted  away." How  beautifully  they 

sing:^  "We  have  thought  of  thy  loving  kindness,  0 
God,  in  the  midst  of  thy  temple.     Let  Mt.  Zion  rejoice ; 


JEHORAM.  333 

let  the  daughters  of  Judah  be  glad  because  of  thy  judg- 
ments." [Was  there  not  joy  among  those  saved  sons 
and  daughters?]  "Walk  about  Zion;  mark  ye  well 
her  bulwarks;  consider  her  palaces" — and  think  that 
he  who  hath  saved  all  these  to  us  is  still  our  God  for- 
ever and  ever;  he  will  be  our  Guide  evermore. So 

in  this  national  song  this  redeemed  people  celebrated 
the  loving  kindness  and  ever-enduring  faithfulness  of 

their  nation's  God. We  need  not  wonder  that  (as  the 

historian  testifies)  "  the  fear  of  God  was  on  all  the  king- 
doms of  those  countries  when  they  heard  that  Jehovah 
fought  against  the  enemies  of  Israel."  "The  realm  of 
Jehoshaphat  was  quiet,  for  the  Lord  gave  him  rest 
round  about."  ^ 

The  passage  (2  Chron.  20 :  35-37)  is  manifestly  out 
of  its  chronological  order  here.  This  event  occurred 
within  one  or  at  most  two  years  after  Ahab's  death 
(Ahaziah  his  successor  having  reigned  less  than  two 
years) ;  consequently  about  the  seventeenth  year  of 
Jehoshaphat — eight  years  before  his  death.  Hence  the 
words  "  after  this  "  can  not  mean,  after  the  great  vic- 
tory  recorded   in  this  chapter. With   this   passage 

compare  1  Kings  22 :  48,  49.  Ezion-geber  being  a  port 
on  the  Elanitic  branch  of  the  Red  Sea,  these  ships 
were  for  the  Indian,  not  the  Mediterranean  trade,  and 
were  therefore  called  "  ships  of  Tarshish  "  only  in  the 
sense  of  being  ships  of  the  largest  size — "  East  India- 
men."  Or  possibly  some  place  in  those  waters  bore  this 
name  "  Tarshish." The  Lord  wisely  baffled  this  com- 
mercial enterprise  ;  for  it  was  not  well  for  Jehoshaphat 
to  be  in  intimate  relations  to  this  godless  Ahaziah. 

Jeho7xim. 

This  eldest  son  of  Jehoshaphat  succeeded  him  with  a 
very  wicked  and  inglorious  reign  of  eight  years.  The 
most  striking  fact  of  his  reign  was  the  perpetual 
curse  brought  upon  himself,  his  family  and  his  king- 
dom, through  the  influence  of  Jezebel  whose  daughter 
Athaliah  became  his  wife.  As  might  have  been  ex- 
pected Athaliah  was  a  second  Jezebel.  Her  pernicious 
influence  was  felt  in  Judah  to  the  day  of  her  death. 

"■••Psalm  88  may  be  read  usefully  in  this  connection,  since  it  was 
probably  prepared  for  this  occasion;   certainly  for  such  an  occasion. 


334  AIIAZIAII. 

Jelioram  had  six  brothers.  Their  father  gave  them 
riches,  and  the  control  of  certain  fortified  cities  of  his 
kingdom.  It  is  supposable  that  Jehoram  thought  their 
power  dangerous  to  his  throne,  yet  the  historian  makes 
no  apolog}^  on  this  ground,  or  any  other,  for  his  heart- 
less murder  of  them  all  as  soon  as  he  had  become  estab- 
lished in  regal  power.  Inasmuch  as  his  widow  Atha- 
liah  pursued  the  same  bloody  policy  as  soon  as  her  son 
Ahaziah  was  slain  by  Jehu,  it  is  safe  to  assume  that  the 
practice  Avas  Phenician — brought  into  Israel  with  Jeze- 
bel and   the  Avorship  of  Baal. Jehoram  introduced 

into  Judah  Baal  worship,  denoted  by  the  word  ''forni- 
cation" (2  Chron.  21:  11),  it  being  spiritual  adultery 
toward  Jehovah  to  whom  the  peoj^le  stood  in  a  covenant 
relation,  analogous  to  that  of  marriage.     It  is  even  said 

that  the  king  compelled  his  people  to  this  worship. 

To  him  Elijah  sent  the  letter  already  referred  to  above, 
setting  forth  his  great  sins  and  denouncing  fearful 
judgments,  both  personal  and  domestic.  The  Philis- 
tines and  Arabians  became  God's  instruments  to  j^lun- 
der  his  palace,  take  into  captivity  his  wives  and  all 
his  sons  save  the  youngest;  while  God's  own  hand  in- 
flicted the  terrible  and  fatal  scourge  of  disease  of  the 
bowels.  The  historian  writes  his  epitaph  in  few  words : 
"He  passed  off  ivith  no  desire:''^  nobody  cared  to  have 
him  live  ;  nobody  lost  a  tear  for  his  death.  Supremely 
selfish  and  utterly  wicked,  the  world  felt  relieved  when 
he  breathed  no  longer.  The  historian  intimates  that 
whatever  good  survived  to  his  kingdom  was  due  to  his 
parents  and  not  to  any  good  qualities  of  his  own.  "  The 
Lord  would  not  destroy  the  house  of  David,  because  of 
the  covenant  he  had  made  with  David,  as  he  had  prom- 
ised to  give  a  light  to  him  and  to  his  sons  forever"  (21 : 
7).  Otherwise,  so  much  wickedness  might  have  sunk 
the  nation. 

Ahaziah. 

This  only  surviving  son  of  Jehoram,  called  Jehoahaz 
(21 :  17),  and  probabl}^,  by  an  error  of  the  transcribers, 
Azariah  in  22:  6,  succeeded  his  father  and  reigned  one 
year  only.  He  met  his  death  at  the  hand  of  Jehu  while 
himself  on  a  visit  to  his  cousins  of  Ahab's  line  in  Jez- 
reel,  where  Jehu  was  fulfilling  his  divine  commission 
against  the  house  of  Ahab.     His  record  is  brief  but 


ATHALIAH.  335 

only  bad — doing  evil  and  evil  only — "  his  mother  Atha- 
liali  beinp:  his  counselor  to  do  wickedly"  (2  Chron. 
22  :  3).  The  author  of  Chronicles,  one  of  the  most 
profoundly  philosophical  historians,  evermore  tracing 
events  to  their  ultimate  cause,  suggests  that  the  de- 
struction of  Ahaziah  was  of  God  by  coming  to  Joram 
(king  of  Israel  at  Jezreel) ;  for  when  he  was  come,  he 
went  out  with  Joram  against  Jehu  son  of  Nimshi, 
whom  the  Lord  had  anointed  to  cut  off  the  house  of 
Ahab  (2  Chron.  22 :  7).  Caught  among  the  wicked 
from  whom  he  had  inherited  his  wickedness ;  caught 
there  just  when  the  bolts  of  heaven's  vengeance  were 
smiting  them ;  why  should  they  not  smite  him  also  ? 

Athaliah. 

We  have  seen  this  bad  woman  already.  We  shall 
remember  her  as  the  daughter  of  Jezebel,  the  wife  of 
Jehoram  eldest  son  of  Jehoshaphat,  and  mother  of 
Ahaziah  his  successor.  The  only  woman  who  ever  sat 
on  the  throne  of  Judah,  she  made  her  name  forever 
notorious  (I  will  not  say  immortal)  by  the  meanness 
and  heartless  inhumanity  of  her  wickedness.  As  sur- 
viving queen-mother,  it  was  her  responsibility  to 
bring  forward  her  eldest  son  to  the  throne.  Instead  of 
of  this  she  murdered  "  all  the  seed  royal,"  including  all 
her  sons  upon  whom  she  could  lay  her  hand ;  and  then 
mounted  the  throne  herself.  Only  God's  special  provi- 
dence enabled  one  of  her  daughters  (probably  a  step- 
daughter), Jehoshabeath,  to  rescue  Joash,  the  youngest 
son — then  an  infant  in  the  hands  of  his  nurse — from 
the  jaws  of  this  woman-demon.  Athaliah  held  the 
throne  six  j'ears,  and  then  met  the  violent  death  she 
had  so  long  and  so  richly  deserved — reigning  only  wick- 
edly, and  dying,  we  may  be  sure,  unwept.  The  his- 
torian briefly — we  may  sa}^,  suggestively — remarks  : 
"  All  the  people  of  the  land  rejoiced,  and  the  city  was 
quiet  after  they  had  slain  Athaliah  with  the  sword." 
Nothing  is  recorded  of  her  except  crimes.  It  is  rea- 
sonably safe  to  infer  that  there  was  nothing  better  or 
else  to  record. 


336  JEIIOIADA  AND  JOASH. 

Jehoiada  and  Joash."^ 

The  name  Jehoiada  hrings  to  view  a  venerable  High 
Priest,  liusband  of  that  Jehoshabeath  who  saved  the 
infant  Joash  from  the  jaws  of  Athaliah,  and  who 
became  God's  instrument  to  rid  the  world  and  espe- 
cially the  throne  of  Judah  of  Queen  Athaliah.  ^V'hen 
Joash  attained  the  age  of  seven  years,  Jehoiada  con- 
vened his  friends  from  the  whole  country  in  council. 
It  was  concluded  that  the  nation  had  borne  the  curse  of 
such  a  queen  full  long.  They  concerted  measures  to 
inaugurate  Joash  the  rightful  heir  as  king,  and  to  dis- 
pose of  Athaliah.  The  boy  had  been  secreted  in  the 
recesses  of  the  temple — a  place  which  Athaliah  was  not 
wont  to  visit.  Jehoiada  had  charge  there.  It  was  the 
custom  for  the  Levites,  organized  in  several  divisions,  to 
stand  guard  over  the  temple  in  succession;  so  that  it 
was  necessary  only  to  strengthen  these  guards  by  large 
accessions  from  the  whole  country,  arming  them  from 
the  arsenal  of  King  David.  Silentl}^  they  had  filed  in 
and  taken  their  posts  till  the  military  force  was  deemed 
sufficient ;  then  on  a  given  signal,  the  3'oung  king  was 
brought  forth,  anointed,  inaugurated; — and  Jehoiada 
virtually  made  regent.  Athaliah  heard  the  trumj^et- 
blast  and  the  joyous  acclamations  as  they  rang  out 
through  the  city— only  to  throw  up  her  hands  in 
horror,  shouting,  Treason! — to  be  hustled  out  of  the 
temple  and  then  cut  down  by  the  sword  of  avenging 
justice.  The  nation  breathed  freely  once  more ;  idolatry 
and  cruel  inhumanity  had  fallen  together,  and  a  right- 
eous administration  took  their  place. 

Legitimately,  the  next  step  was  the  solemn  ratifica- 
tion of  a  covenant  in  which,  as  said  in  2  Kings  11 :  17, 
the  contracting  parties  were — the  Lord,  the  king,  and 
the  people ;  also  "  between  the  king  and  the  people."  f 
After  the  extreme  apostasy  of  the  previous  reigns 
nothing  could  be  more  appropriate  than  this  renewal 
of  covenant  with  God  and  his  king. As  the  next 

*  This  history  appears  substantially  in  both  Kings  and  Chronicles  ; 
viz.,  2  Kings  11  and  12,  and  2  Chron.  22-24 ;  most  fully  in  the  latter. 

t  Noticeably  the  author  of  Chronicles  (23:  16)  puts  it — "between 
him  (.Jehoiada),  all  the  people  and  the  king,  that  they  should  be  the 
Lord's  people."  Jehoiada  being  High  Priest,  may  be  thought  of  here 
as  representing  the  Lord  iu  this  three-fold  covenant. 


JEHOIADA  AND  JOASII.  337 

step  in  the  same  direction,  "  all  the  people  went  into 
the  house"  [temple]  "of  Baal;  broke  it  down;  broke  in 
pieces  his  altars  and  his  images,  and  slew  Mattan,  the 
priest  of  Baal,  before  the  altar."  Then  the  way  was 
prepared  to  reorganize  the  worship  of  the  temple  after 
the  Mosaic  order,  which  was  done  apparently  with  a 
hearty  will  and  a  noble  enthusiasm  (2  Chron.  23 :  18- 
21). Next  came  the  great  Avork  of  repairing  the  tem- 
ple. The  need  of  this  appears  from  the  recorded  fact 
that  "the  sons  of  Athaliah,  that  wicked  woman,  had 
broken  into  the  house  of  God,  and  all  the  dedicated 
things  of  the  house  of  God  they  had  bestowed  upon 
Baalim  "  (2  Chron.  24 :  7).  How  extensive  and  funda- 
mental these  repairs  were  and  needed  to  be  is  indicated 
by  the  original  word  used  for  repair,  which  (in  2  Chron. 
24:  4)  means  to  mahe  new  ;  in  v.  5,  to  make  strong;  and 
in  24 :  27,  has  the  sense  of  founding^  laying  foundations. 

It  seems  that  the  young  king  entered   into  this 

work  with  youthful  ardor  if  we  may  accept  the  most 
obvious  sense  of  v.  6  which  represents  him  as  calling 
for  Jehoiada  and  (apparently)  chiding  him  for  tardiness 
in  that  he  had  not  pressed  forward  the  Levites  to  bring 

in  the  collections  from  the  people. In  the  result  the 

work  was  done  nobly  and  no  inconsiderable  reform  was 
achieved  in  the  nation. 

During  the  regency  at  least,  and  apparently  during 
all  the  remaining  life  of  Jehoiada,  the  worship  of  the 
true  God  w^as  sustained  with  a  fair  degree  of  efficiency. 
But  the  best  of  men  become  old  and  die.  "Jehoiada" 
(we  read  2  Chron.  24 :  15)  "  waxed  old  and  was  full  of 
davs  when  he  died:  130  years  old  was  he  when  he 
died."  * 

•*The  number  130  I  am  constrained  to  think  is  an  error — on  these 

grounds : (a)  It.  is  almost  double  the  duration  of  life  of  the  old  men 

of  that  period. (b)  Tlacing  him  in  years  by  the  side  of  Joash,  who 

reigned  40  years,  -vve  should  make  Jehoiada  90  at  his  inauguration,  yet 
then  manifestly  in  his  vigor  if  not  in  his  prime  ;  and  this  too  on  the  sup- 
position that  they  both  died  in  the  same  year.  But  Joash  survived  the 
aged  priest  some  years — suppose  five.  On  this  supposition  Jehoiada 
-was  95  at  his  inauguration. (c)  More  still ;  the  great  ^vork  of  re- 
pairing the  temple  was  not  done  till  after  the  23d  year  of  King  Joash 
(2  Kings  12  :  G),  which  on  the  supposition  made  above  was  only  twelve 
years  before  the  death  of  Jehoiada  ; — but  he  is  then  in  active  life — at 

118. (d)  According  to  the  total  years  of  life  as  given  (Jehoiada  130; 

Joash  47)  the  former  was  83  at  the  birth  of  Joash,  and  yet  married  hia 
sister.     We  must  of  course  assume  that  Jehoshabeath  was  older  than 


338  LAST  YEARS  OF  JOASH. 

After  the  good  man  had  gone,  the  princes  of  Judah 
came  to  the  king  very  complaisantly  and  gained  his 
ear.  Their  purpose  in  coming  is  not  stated  definitely, 
but  is  readily  inferred,  for  we  read  immediately  :  "  They 
left  the  house  of  the  God  of  their  fathers  and  served 
groves  and  idols;  and  wrath  came  upon  Judah  and 
Jerusalem  for  this  their  trespass  "  (2  Chron.  24 :  17,  18). 
They  had  become  weary  of  the  temple  worship,  and 
gave  up  their  hearts  to  the  fascinations  of  the  sensuous, 

lustful  orgies  of  heathen  abominations. "  The  Lord 

sent  i^rophets  to  them  to  bring  them  back  again  to 
Jehovah,  but  they  would  not  give  ear."  Then  the 
spirit  of  the  Lord  came  mightily  upon  Zachariah,  son 
of  the  late  aged  Jehoiada.  He  addressed  the  assembled 
people  :  "  Why  transgress  ye  the  commandments  of  the 
Lord,  and  why  will  ye  not  prosper?" — assuming  in  the 
last  question  that  they  must  know  that  only  disaster 
could  result  from  such  a  course.  How  can  ye  be  so  in- 
fatuated that  ye  do  not  even  wish  to  prosper  ?  Already 
these  results  of  ruin  were  apparent :  "  Because  ye  have 

forsaken  the  Lord,  he  also  hath  forsaken  you." The 

sad  record  follows :  "  They  conspired  against  him  and 
stoned  him  with  stones  at  the  commandment  of  the  king,  in 
the  court  of  the  house  of  the  Lord." Upon  this  hor- 
rible deed  the  historian  (a  thing  very  unusual)  allowed 
himself  to  comment  (v.  22),  exj^ressing  his  sense  of  its 
ingratitude  to  his  venerable  benefactor:  "Thus  Joash 
the  king  remembered  not  the  kindness  which  Jehoiada 
(the  father  of  the  murdered  prophet)  had  done  to  him, 
but   slew  his   son.     And  when  he    died   he  said,  The 

Lord  look  upon  it,  and  require  it."-!' God  heard  this 

imprecation.  The  bolts  of  retribution  fell  thick  and 
fast.  Within  one  year  a  small  band  of  Syrians  came 
upon  Judah,  and  the  Lord  delivered  a  great  host  of 

her  infant  brother  when  she  rescued  him  from  death ;  but  the  disparity 
of  GO  or  65  years  between  herself  and  her  husband  amounts  to  a  stub- 
born improbability. It  has  been  suggested  that  the  correct  figures 

would  be,  not  130,  but  103  or  83 — the  exigencies  of  the  case  favoring 
the  lesser  figure. 

•*"This  is  that  Zacharias  to  whom  our  Lord  refers  (Matt.  23 :  35)  as 
slain  between  the  altar  and  the  temple.  According  to  the  Talmud 
a  horror  of  this  impious  deed  long  possessed  the  Jews,  They  be- 
lieved that  this  blood  was  not  to  be  ettaced,  but  continued  to  bubble 
on  the  stones  of  the  court  like  blood  newly  shed,  until  the  temple 
was  entered  just  prior  to  its  destruction  by  Nebuzaradan. 


AMAZIAH.  339 

Jews — forsaken  of  God — into  their  hand.  They  de- 
stroyed all  the  princes  of  the  people — those  apostates 
who  instigated  this  apostacy;  pillaged  the  country 
generall}^;  and  executed  God's  judgments  upon  Joash. 
God  smote  the  king  with  sore  diseases :  his  servants 
(named  here)  conspired  against  him  and  slew  him  on 
his  bed — a  woful  end  to  a  reign  and  a  life  so  auspi- 
ciously begun.  God's  lessons  of  providential  retribution 
are  given  with  unlimited  variety,  if  so  be  they  may  be 
made  effective  upon  the  hard  and  blind  hearts  of  sin- 
ful men.-'^ 

Amaziah. 

This  son  of  Joash  reigned  twenty-nine  years,  with 
various  fortunes,  good  or  ill,  corresponding  to  the  vari- 
ous phases  of  his  religious  life — blessed  so  far  as  he 
walked  with  God;  afflicted,  dishonored,  blighted,  ac- 
cording as  he  forsook  the  Lord.     His  record  appears  in 

2  Kings  14 :  1-20,  and  more  fully  in  2  Chron.  25. 

We  are  told  that  he  punished  with  death  the  murder- 
ers of  his  father — the  men  themselves,  but  not  their 
children,  following  in  this  the  law  of  Moses :  "  The 
fathers  shall  not  die  for  the  children,  neither  shall  the 
children  die  for  the  fathers ;  but  every  man  shall  die 
for  his  own  sin."  This  reference  shows  incidentally  that 
"  the  law  of  Moses  "  was  in  the  hands  of  the  king,  as 
according  to  that  law  it  should  be. 

Of  the  two  great  wars  of  his  reign,  the  first  was 
against  Edom.  In  this  he  captured  Selah,  its  noted 
capital;  slew  ten  thousand  men,  and  hurled  as  many 
more,  whom  he  had  taken  captive,  from  the  top  of  the 
city  rocks.  No  reason  is  assigned  for  this  barbarous  treat- 
ment of  prisoners. The  author  of  Chronicles  records 

two  facts  not  found  in  the  other  history ;  viz.,  that  Ama- 
ziah hired  100,000  men  of  Israel  for  one  hundred  talents 
of  silver ;  but  there  came  "  a  man  of  God "  to  him  to 
forbid  their  going;  and  that,  though  reluctant  to  lose 
his  money,  he  yet  sent  them  home.  They  took  this  as 
an  afi'ront,  and  made  reprisals   by  pillaging  cities  on 

"••-  In  V,  27  the  word  "  burden  "  should  be  taken  not  in  the  physical 
but  in  the  prophetic  sense — predictions  of  sore  calamity.  Tlie  sense 
here  is:  "Concerning  the  greatness  of  the  burdens  of  predicted 
calamity  uttered  against  him,  see  what  is  written  in  the  story  of  the 
book  of  the  Kings." 


340  AMAZIAH. 

their  way. Next,  that  having  conquered  the  Edom- 

ites,  he  was  silly  and  senseless  enough  to  bring  home 
their  gods  and  set  them  up  for  his  own ;  bow  and  burn 
incense  before  them.  The  Lord  sent  to  him  a  prophet 
with  the  pertinent  rebuke:  ''Why  hast  thou  sought 
after  the  gods  of  the  people  who  could  not  deliver  their 
own  people  out  of  thine  hand  ?  " Instead  of  confess- 
ing his  folly  and  sin,  the  king  put  himself  upon  his 
dignity,  suggesting  to  the  prophet  to  attend  to  his  own 
business  :  "  Art  thou  made  of  the  king's  counsel?  For- 
bear; why  shouldest  thou  be  smitten?"  The  prophet 
did  forbear;  but  not  without  assigning  his  reason  for 
desisting  from  further  effort  to  bring  back  such  a  king 
to  reason  and  to  God :  "  I  know  that  God  hath  deter- 
mined to  destroy  thee  because  thou  hast  done  this,  and 
hast  not  hearkened  to  my  counsel."  The  king  who 
could  do  two  things  so  foolish  and  sinful  as  to  bring 
home  the  powerless  gods  of  Edom  to  be  his  own  national 
protectors,  and  then  scornfully  repel  the  Lord's  rebuke 
through  his  prophets,  could  do  yet  another  foolish  thing 
for  his  own  punishment  and  extreme  humiliation ;  viz., 
to  challenge  Joash,  king  of  Israel,  to  battle ;  get  first  a 
sharp  and  sensible  rebuke  from  that  king,  and  next  a 
shameful  defeat,  which  ended  in  his  being  made  pris- 
oner; in  having  his  capital  seized;  its  city  walls  ex- 
tensively broken  down;  the  treasures  of  the  temple 
and  of  his  own  palace  taken  away  and  hostages  besides 
—an  extreme  humiliation  rarely  visited  upon  any  king 

of  Judah. It  is  not  said  whether  this  made  him  a 

wiser  and  a  better  man.  He  had  shown  himself  not 
only  intellectually  weak  but  morally  rotten.  In  closing 
his  record  of  this  king  the  historian  suggests  that  it 
was  after^  and  plainly  in  consequence  of,  his  turning 
away  from  following  the  Lord  that  "  they  made  a  con- 
spiracy against  him  in  Jerusalem;  that  he  fled  to 
Lachish;  that  they  sent  there  for  him  and  slew  him 
there.  A  man  whose  moral  defects  had  made  such  a 
wreck  of  his  good  sense  and  judgment,  and  who, 
through  sheer  wickedness,  had  brought  such  calamities 
on  his  city  and  kingdom,  was  obviously  unfit  to  reign. 
There  were  sagacious  men  enough  in  the  high  places 
of  power  to  see  this  and  to  combine  against  his  life  for 
the  salvation  of  their  country.  His  case  is  one  variety 
under  the  axiom :    "  Whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that 


uzziAii.  341 

shall  he  also  reap."  When  his  sinful  passions  rob  a 
king  of  his  common  sense,  it  is  but  meet  that  they 
should  rob  him  also  of  throne  and  life. 

Uzziah. 

This  king  whose  record  appears  briefly  in  2  Kings 
14 :  21,  22,  and  15  :  1-7,  but  much  more  fully  in  2  Chron. 
26,  was  a  great  improvement  upon  his  father  Amaziah, 
whom  he  succeeded  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  to  reign  fifty- 
two  years.  He  was  one  of  the  most  energetic  kings, 
born  to  push  business  and  to  work  toward  success. 
That  he  built  Eloth  [often  written  "  Elath  "],  the  well 
known  port  on  the  gulf  of  Akabah  near  Ezion  Geber,  is 
put  first  in  the  list  of  his  exploits,  perhaps  because  it 
was  first  in  time,  or  because  it  was  so  characteristic  of 
his  energ)\  Its  rebuilding  indicates  a  revival  of  the 
India  trade  by  sea,  after  the  manner  of  Solomon. 

The  testimony  to  the  moral  tone  of  Uzziah's  reign 
puts  him  not  on  the  highest  grade,  nor  yet  on  the  low- 
est. He  did  right  after  the  manner  of  his  father — com- 
paring him  with  the  better  part  of  his  father's  reign. 
He  sought  God  in  the  days  of  Zechariah — a  prophet- 
teacher  not  elsewhere  spoken  of.  The  Hebrew  words, 
"  Who  had  understanding  in  the  visions  of  God,"  I  pre- 
fer to  translate ;  Who  instructed  in  the  fear  of  God ; 
made  men  wise  as  to  true  piety.  According  to  the  uni- 
versal law  of  God's  administration,  as  long  as  Uzziah 
sought  the  Lord,  God  made  him  prosper.  All  history 
repeats  evermore  this  great  lesson. 

Uzziah  made  wars  successfully  against  the  Philis- 
tines ;  breaking  down  their  strongest  city-walls.  He 
also  subdued  certain  Arabians  and  brought  them  under 
tribute.  To  his  other  labors  he  added  extensive  repairs 
and  enlargement  of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  —  sadly 
broken  down  (we  may  remember)  in  the  reign  of  his 
father;  the  reorganization  of  the  standing  army;  the 
provision  of  enginery  for  war  and  for  defence;  and  to 
crown  all  (a  rare  record  for  a  king)  he  labored  munifi- 
cently to  increase  the  productiveness  of  his  country  in 
the  line  of  husbandry — the  raising  and  the  care  of 
cattle  and  the  cultivation  of  the  soil. 

The  darker  side  of  his  character  seems  to  have  been 
developed  under  his  great  success  and  its  temptations 


342  jotham;  ahaz. 

to  pride ;  "  His  heart  was  lifted  up  to  his  destruction  " — 
the  word  for  destruction  suggesting  that  his  being  lifted 
up,  first  depraved  and  then  destroyed  him.  "  He  went 
into  the  temple  of  the  Lord  to  burn  incense  " — repeating 
the  sin  of  Korah  and  his  associates  (Num.  16).  When 
the  High  Priest  withstood  him,  he  became  angry  and 
was  smitten  with  leprosy — a  terrible  infliction  which 
suddenly  appalled  him,  and  adhered  to  him — the  mark 

of  God's  displeasure — to  the  day  of  his  death. The 

prophet  Isaiah  wrote  his  history  for  the  archives  of  the 
nation,  having  commenced  his  prophetic  functions  a 
short  time  before  Uzziah's  death. 

Jotham. 

This  son  and  successor  of  Uzziah  reigned  sixteen 
years,  leaving  a  fair  record  morally,  fully  up  to  the 
best  side  of  his  father's,  and  avoiding  the  great  sin 
which  brought  such  gloom  over  the  closing  years  of 
Uzziah.  He  followed  the  steps  of  his  father  in  the  line 
of  building  cities,  castles,  towns ;  and  in  wars  against  the 
contiguous  Ammonites,  who  probably  provoked  this  by 
their  incursions.  The  comprehensive  generalization  of 
his  reign  is,  "  So  Jotham  became  mighty  because  he 
pj-eparai  his  ways ;  "  better — he  purposely  ordered,  de- 
termined his  ways  as  before  God ;  steadfastly  aimed  to 

please  God.     A  worthy  record! Only  seven  verses 

are  devoted  to  his  history  by  the  author  of  Kings  (2 
Kings  15  :  32-38).  The  fuller  record  by  the  author  of 
Chronicles  gives  him  one  short  chapter  (27). 

Ahaz. 

Ahaz,  son  and  successor  of  Jotham,  in  his  reign  of 
sixteen  years  made  himself  notorious  for  his  wicked- 
ness, surpassing  in  crime  and  downright  depravity  all 
the  kings  of  Judah  before  him.  In  fact  it  is  intimated 
that  he  walked  in  the  ways  of  the  most  wicked  kings 
of  Israel,  surpassed  in  sin  by  few  even  if  any  of  them. 

To  his   record  the   author  of  Kings   devotes   one 

chapter  (16),  and  the  author  of  Chronicles  one  (28),  each 
containing  some  new  matter,  and  also  some  matter  com- 
mon to  both.  Both  of  his  historians  give  his  history 
in  the  philosophical  order;  first,  his  great  sins,  and 


AHAZ.  343 

then  their  legitimate  results;  defeat,  disaster,  the  de- 
struction of  his  immense  armies ;  the  exhaustion  of  his 
treasury,  by  foreign  exactions — the  "  bringing  of  Judah 
low  and  making  her  naked  because  of  his  sore  trans- 
gressions against  the  Lord."  In  the  line  of  sins  he  in- 
troduced Baal-worship,  never  brought  into  Judah  before, 
save  for  a  short  time  under  Jehoram  and  Athaliah.  He 
was  the  first  to  desecrate  the  famous  "  valley  of  the  son 
of  Hinnom  "  (south  of  Jerusalem),  not  only  burning  in- 
cense there  to  idol  gods,  but  burning  his  own  children 
there  in  the  lire,  after  the  abomination  of  the  old 
Canaanites — a  horrid  worship  which  seems  to  have 
been  kept  up  vigorously  in  Moab  and  Ammon.  The 
author  of  Kings  used  the  phrase — "made  his  son  to 
pass  through  the  fire;"  but  the  author  of  Chronicles 
said  in  plainest  terms — "  burnt  his  children  in  the 
fire  " — showing  that  the  former  phrase  means  nothing 
less  than  burning  children  to  death.  It  is  not  perhaps 
certain  that  he  burned  more  than  one,  though  in 
Chronicles  we  read  '*  sons,"  in  the  plural.  We  may  be 
thankful  the  murdered  son  was  not  Hezekiah,  and  that 
God  spared  him  to  fill  the  throne  so  righteously  after 
the  death  of  his  godless  father.  Perhaps  the  wicked- 
ness of  his  father  was  to  him  revolting  and  wrought  a 
deep  abhorrence  of  such  crime.  Did  his  young  eyes 
see  his  little  brother  burned  to  death  to  Moloch  ?  Had 
he  a  godly  mother  to  aid  him  to  just  views  of  such 
horrid  worship  of  devils  ?  If  we  may  attach  any  weight 
to  the  statements  bearing  on  his  age  as  related  to  his 
father's,  he  was  old  enough  when  Ahaz  began  to  reign 
to  appreciate  his  shocking  inhumanity  and  even  his 
guilt  before  God.  Being  twenty-five  yeuYS  old  when  he 
began  to  reign,  he  was  nine  when  his  father  began. 

For  such  sins  judgments  from  God  came  speedily  and 
fell  thick  and  fast.  The  Syrians  smote  him  and  carried 
a  great  multitude  of  captives  to  Damascus.  Pekah, 
king  of  Israel,  came  also  upon  him  and  "slew  in  one 
day  120,000,  all  valiant  men,  because  they  had  forsaken 
the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers."  He  also  took  200,000 
captives — "women,  sons,  and  daughters,"  and  brought 
them  to  Samaria  with  immense  spoil.  There  a  prophet 
of  the  Lord,  Oded  by  name,  stepped  forth  boldly  before 
the  conquering  army,  and  made  this  very  effective 
speech  (put  on  record  2  Chron.  28 :  9-11)  : 


844  AHAZ. 

"  Behold,  because  the  Lord  God  of  your  fathers  was  wroth  with 
Judah,  he  hath  delivered  them  into  your  hand,  and  ye  have  slain  them 
in  a  rage  that  reacheth  up  to  heaven.  And  now  ye  propose  to  keep 
under  the  children  of  Judah  and  Benjamin  for  bondmen  and  bond- 
women unto  you ;  but  are  there  not  with  you,  even  with  you^  sins 
against  the  Lord  your  God  ?  Now  hear  me  therefore,  and  deliver  the 
captives  again  which  ye  have  taken  captive  of  your  brethren  :  for 
the  fierce  wrath  of  the  Lord  is  upon  you." 

In  the  result  several  leadin<^  men  of  Ephraim  stood 
up  to  sustain  this  appeal  of  Oded  with  such  effect  that 
the  army  surrendered  their  captives.  Kind-hearted 
men  came  forward  to  clothe,  furnish,  and  feed  them, 
and  take  them  toward  their  homes  as  far  as  Jericho — a 
grand  exhibition  of  the  principles  of  true  humanity  in 
war,  brought  about  by  the  Lord  through  his  prophet. 

The  military  expedition  (recorded  in  Kings  only)  in 
which  Syria  and  Ephraim  combine  under  Rezin  and 
Pekah  against  Ahaz,  seems  to  have  been  subsequent  to 
the  events  narrated  above.  They  came  up  against 
Jerusalem  and  besieged  Ahaz  but  could  not  overcome 
him.  The  account  given  in  Kings  (16)  should  be  com- 
pared with  Isa.  7,  where  the  same  facts  are  referred  to, 
and  with  them  are  inwoven  most  inspiring  predictions 
of  God's  future  mercies  to  Zion.  It  was  under  the  pres- 
sure of  these  foreign  enemies  that  Ahaz,  weakened  by 
the  loss  of  the  flower  of  his  army,  sent  to  Tiglath-pileser 
of  Assyria  for  help.  He  came ;  seized  Damascus  on  his 
way  (it  being  on  his  route) ;  and  sent  many  of  its  peo- 
])le  into  captivity  to  Kir,  and  slew  Rezin  their  king. 
These  facts  are  certified  on  the  Assyrian  monuments, 

brought   to  light   within  the   last  half  century.-S' 

Another  fact  comes  through  the  same  channel,  viz., 
that  the  Assyrian  conqueror  gathered  at  Damascus  a 
group  of  captive  kings,  including  those  of  Judea,  Edom, 
Ammon,  Moab,  Gaza,  Askelon,  Tyre,  and  Arvad;  put 
them  ujwn  their  terms  of  allegiance  and  tribute;  and 
there  imposed  upon  them,  according  to  the  usages  of 

■*The  Assyrian  records  of  Tiglath-pileser  state  that  from  his 
twelfth  to  his  fourteenth  year  (B.  C.  734-732)  he  carried  on  a  Avar  iu 
Southern  Syria  against  the  two  kings — Pekah  of  Samaria  and  Rezin 
of  Damascus  who  were  confederate  together;  that  he  besieged  Rezin 
in  his  capital  for  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  captured  him 
and  put  him  to  death,  Avhile  he  punished  Pekah  by  mulcting  him  of  a 
large  portion  of  his  dominions  and  carrying  off  vast  numbers  of  his 
subjects  into  captivity."     (Historical  Illustrations  134).  '    . 


AHAZ.  345 

Assj^rian  conquerors,  a  certain  fealty  to  the  Ass5^rian 
gods.  To  this  some  critics  ascribe  the  act  of  Ahaz  in 
talving  the  pattern  of  the  Assyrian  altar  (assuming  it  to 
have  been  not  Syrian  but  Assyrian),  and  in  having  one 
like  it  built  at  Jerusalem.  The  author  of  Chronicles, 
however,  assumes  that  these  gods  were  those  of  Damas- 
cus which  had  (so  Ahaz  assumed)  been  powerful  enough 
to  help  them,  and  therefore  he  would  invoke  their  help 
for  himself 

Calamities  by  war  came  upon  Ahaz,  not  from  the 
north  only,  but  from  the  south  and  south-west.  "  The 
Edomites  came  and  smote  Judah  and  carried  away  cap- 
tives ;  the  Philistines  also  invaded  the  cities  of  the  low 
country  (the  great  plain  on  the  south-west),  and  all  the 
south  of  Judah,  and  took  several  important  cities 
(named  2  Chron.  28 :  18).  There  is  not  the  first  hint 
that  Ahaz  in  his  trouble  sought  help  from  the  Lord. 
Repeatedly  he  sought  help  from  the  king  of  Assyria,  at 
first  with  the  very  partial  success  of  relief  from  Rezin 
of  Syria ;  but  the  author  of  Chronicles  speaks  only  of 
disaster  from  this  quarter :  "  The  king  of  Assyria  came 
unto  him  and  distressed  him,  but  strengthened  him 
not."  To  buy  his  help  or  glut  his  rapacity,  Ahaz  not 
only  robbed  the  temple,  his  own  palace,  and  those  of 
his  princes  of  their  treasures,  but  the  temple  of  some 
of  its  ornamental  and  indeed  useful  portions,  named 
by  the  author  of  Kings  (vs.  17, 18).  Even  these  calam- 
ities and  straits  utterly  failed  to  turn  the  heart  or  even 
the  thought  of  Ahaz  toward  the  true  God.  He  only 
rushed  with  the  more  infatuation  to  idol  gods  for  help 
— (as  said  in  this  connection) — to  the  gods  of  Damascus 
whom  he  supposed  to  have  smitten  him,  and  wished  to 
propitiate  so  that  they  should  help  him  instead.  "But 
(says  the  historian)  they  were  the  ruin  of  him  and  of 
all  Israel ; "  i.  e.,  of  his  own  nation. 

Taken  in  whole  the  record  of  Ahaz  is  one  of  unmiti- 
gated crime  and  folly,  and  of  consequent  ruin.  Not 
one  redeeming  feature  appears  throughout  his  entire 
history.  It  seems  hard  to  account  for  such  depths  of 
depravity;  such  infatuation  of  guilt  and  folly. 


346  HEZEKIAH. 


Hezehiah. 


In  respect  to  both  character  and  reign,  Hezekiah 
stands  in  marked  and  pleasing  contrast  with  his  father 
Ahaz  and  his  son  Manasseh.  His  reign  is  ever  mem- 
orable for  the  great  Jewish  revival  of  religion  with 
which  it  opened;  for  the  earnest  consecration  of  its 
monarch  to  the  God  of  his  fathers ;  for  the  deliverance 
granted  him  from  impending  destruction  before  the 
great  Assyrian  power;  for  the  extraordinary  prolonga- 
tion of  his  life  under  the  special  promise  of  just  fifteen 
years  more ;  and  for  his  association  with  the  venerable 
2)rophet  Isaiah. 

To  his  history  the  author  of  Kings  devoted  three 
chapters  (18-20),  and  the  author  of  Chronicles  four 
(29-32).  The  former  gave  almost  exclusively  his 
political  history;  the  latter,  through  three  chapters, 
his  religious  history — a  somewhat  minute  account  of 
that  great  reformation  which  so  distinguished  his 
reign.  Much  the  greater  part  of  this  political  history 
as  in  Kings  appears  also  with  no  considerable  variation 
in  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah  (36-39) — viz.,  that  part 
which  records  the  invasion  of  Judah  by  the  king  of 
Assyria;  the  embassy  of  Kabshakeh  and  his  taunting 
speech,  and  the  course  pursued  by  Hezekiah  with  its 
ultimate  results.  It  scarcel}^  admits  of  doubt  that  the 
compiler  of  Kings  drew  his  history  of  Hezekiah  from 
the  annals  of  his  reign,  prepared  by  Isaiah,  and  that  in 
making  up  his  own  book  of  prophecies,  Isaiah  placed 
in  it  so  much  of  these  annals  as  we  find  in  his  four 
chapters.  The  author  of  Chronicles  (supposably  Ezra) 
made  up  his  history  many  years  later.  He,  therefore, 
assumed  that  his  readers  had  access  to  Kings  and  prob- 
ably to  Isaiah,  and  thus  naturally  condensed  very  much 
the  account  found  there  of  the  Assyrian  invasion, 
giving  his  attention  chiefly  to  the  great  religious 
reformation  and  its  results.  These  were  matters  of 
living  interest  to  himself  and  his  brethren  of  the 
restoration. 

In  treating  of  Hezekiah,  I  propose  to  pass  lightly 
over  that  portion  of  it  which  appears  in  Isaiah  36-39, 
and  in  2  Kings  18  :  13  to  the  close  of  chap.  20,  inasmuch 
as  those  portions  have  been  critically  examined  in  my 


HEZEKIAH.  347 

Notes  on  Isaiah ;  and  to  give  chief  attention  to  his 
great  religious  work  presented  in  2  Chron.  29-31. 

Of  this  transcendently  precious  revival,  it  scarcely 
need  be  said  in  the  outset  that  it  came  in  a  time  of 
utmost  need.  The  declension  under  Ahaz  had  been  fear- 
ful ;  the  temple  had  never  been  so  shamefully  dese- 
crated before ;  idolatry  in  Judah  had  never  been  so  bold 
and  defiant ;  never  before  had  great  men  burnt  their 
sons  and  daughters  so  openly  in  sacrifice  to  Moloch. 
The  northern  kingdom  had  long  been  going  down 
morally  and  religiously  by  a  perpetual  backsliding.  It 
was  at  this  point  on  the  verge  of  political  destruction 
and  hopeless  captivity.  The  present  was  the  last 
opportunity  to  pluck  a  remnant  from  the  open  jaws  of 
this  ruin.  It  was  the  last  call  of  mercy  to  the  people 
of  the  ten  tribes,  inviting  them  back  to  the  God  of 
their  fathers.-'^ 

Next  it  may  be  noted  that  this  great  revival  was 
wrought,  instrumentally,  by  means  of  the  religious  institu- 
tions of  Moses.  We  read  of  no  special  labors  of  Hebrew 
I^rophets.f  It  is  not  said  that  there  was  extra  preaching 
or  any  special  services  of  reading  the  law.  But  the 
Mosaic  ritual  services  were  put  in  full  requisition,  and 
(probably)  developed  their  utmost  legitimate  force 
toward  a  spiritual  reformation.  In  this  point  of  view, 
this  revival  may  be  made  a  valuable  study  philosophic- 
ally, answering  the  great  question  as  to  the  practical  re- 
ligious power  of  that  ancient  ritual. 

Hezekiah  began  this  effort  in  reform  immediately 
after  ascending  the  throne.  Doubtless  his  soul  had  been 
crying  out  through  more  than  one  tedious  year  under 
the  awful  wickedness  of  his  father's  reign,  longing  for 
the  time  to  come  when  he  might  strike  for  the  salva- 
tion of  his  country  and  the  recall  of  the  people  from 
their  idolatrous  abominations.     Had  he  not  been  weep- 

*  Psalm  80  appears  to  have  been  composed  for  the  case  of  the 
nortliern  tribes,  desolated  by  their  crimes  and  the  judgments  sent 
because  of  them — in  whose  behalf  tlie  men  of  prayer  in  Ilezekiah's 
times  gave  utterance  to  their  emotions  and  supplications  in  this 
Psalm. 

tWe  know  however  from  other  sources  that  Ilosea,  Amos,  Micah 
and  Isaiah  had  been  laboring  among  the  people,  some  in  Israel  and 
some  in  Judah,  so  that  no  small  amount  of  preparatory  work  must 
have  been  done.  Such  men  as  they  could  never  be  idle  during  the 
progress  of  such  a  work. 


348  HEZEKIAH. 

ing  over  the  broken  altars  and  the  poUuted  sanctuary, 
and  waiting  in  the  agon}"  of  long  pent  up  grief  and  in- 
dignation for  the  moment  to  come  when  he  might 
''  open  the  doors  of  the  house  of  the  Lord "  and  sum- 
mon the  godly  Levites  "  to  sanctify  themselves  and  the 

glorious  temple  "  ? So  when  at  length  he  came  to  the 

throne  of  Judah,  his  heart  was  ready;  his  hand  was 
ready — for  this  first  great  measure  of  his  reign. 

First  he  summoned  together  the  priests  and  the  Le- 
vites, for  these  men  must  be  his  chief  agents  in  a  revi- 
val to  be  worked  by  the  instrumentalities  of  the  Mosaic 
Institutions.  In  few  but  telling  words  he  sets  the  case 
before  them — how  the  wrath  of  the  Lord  had  come  down 
upon  Judah  and  Jerusalem  for  their  great  sins;  how 
their  fathers  had  fallen  by  the  sword  and  their  sons 
and  daughters  and  wives  had  gone  into  captivity  for 
this.  "  Now,"  said  he,  "  it  is  in  my  heart  to  make  a 
covenant  with  the  Lord  God  of   Israel  that  his  fierce 

wrath   may  turn  away  from  us." Thus  the  moral 

pressure   toward  a  thorough  reformation,  growing  out 

of  these  patent  facts,  w^as  immense. Now,  therefore, 

my  sons,  God  lays  this  responsibility  largely  on  j^ou. 
He  has  chosen  you  out  of  all  the  tribes  to  stand  before 
his  altar  and  to  lead  in  all  these  holy  services;  there- 
fore be  ye  not  remiss,  but  meet  your  obligations  witli 
the  utmost  diligence. 

Then  they  set  themselves  to  cleanse  the  temple  and 
to  restore  what  the  sacrilegious  hand  of  Ahaz  had  taken 
away.  This  being  done  and  reported  to  the  king  (so  we 
read  2  Chron.  29:  20) — "  Then  King  Hezekiah  roseearly^^ 
(as  one  whose  heart  was  there  before  the  morning  light), 
''and  gathered  the  rulers  of  the  city"  (his  officers  and 
cabinet  must  combine  all  their  personal  and  official 
influence),  "and  went  up  to  the  house  of  the  Lord."  A 
solemn  service  of  sacrifice  followed.  Burnt-oflerings, 
sin-offerings  with  imposition  of  hands  and  confession 
of  sin — "  an  atonement  for  all  Israel ; "  and  accompany- 
ing this  the  full  service  of  song  with  all  the  ordained 
instruments  of  music,  pouring  forth  their  mighty  chorus 
of  thanksgiving  and  praise  during  the  entire  service  of 
the  burnt-offering  till  it  was  concluded,  after  which 
"  the  king  and  all  that  were  present  with  him  bowed 
themselves  with  him  and  worshiped."  It  is  specially 
said  that  "  they  sang  praises  to  the  Lord  with  the  words 


HEZEKIAH.  349 

of  David  and  of  Asaph  the  seer,"  making  use  of  those 
glorious  Psalms  of  praise  which  have  so  often  in  all  later 
ages,  as  in  the  earlier  ages  also,  borne  up  the  grateful 
offerings  of  praise  and  adoration  to  the  great  Jehovah. 
It  need  not  surprise  us  that  this  return  to  the  sublime 
songs  of  the  sanctuary  and  to  the  long  neglected  ser- 
vices of  sacrifice  and  offering  should  have  been  with 
great  rejoicings  of  heart.  The  soul  of  the  noble  king 
and  the  souls  of  many  of  his  princes  and  people  like- 
minded,  were  deeply  in  it. 

The  next  great  movement  was  the  due  celebration  of 
the  Passover.  Neither  the  priests  nor  the  people,  and 
scarcely  the  temple  itself — was  in  readiness  when  the 
appointed  day — the  fourteenth  of  the  first  month — 
arrived.  So  the  king  took  counsel,  and  by  general  con- 
sent it  was  concluded  to  defer  the  Passover  to  the  four- 
teenth day  of  the  second  month.  The  Mosaic  law 
provided  for  this  postponement  under  peculiar  circum- 
stances.  This  gave  the  king  opportunity  for  ample 

preparation.  He  wrote  letters  and  sent  out  his  messen- 
gers not  only  over  all  Judah  but  over  all  Israel,  from 
Dan  to  Beersheba,  through  Ephraim  and  Manasseh, 
affectionately  and  earnestly  inviting  them  to  come  up 
to  Jerusalem  once  more  and  honor  the  God  of  their 
fathers  by  a  joint  observance  of  the  great  Passover. 
"  Ye  children  of  Israel "  (thus  we  read),  "  turn  again  to 
the  Lord  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  for  he  will 
return  to  the  remnant  of  you  that  are  escaped  out  of  the 
hand  of  the  king  of  Assyria;  and  be  ye  not  like  your 
fathers  and  like  your  brethren  who  trespassed  against 
the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers,  who  therefore  gave  them 
up  to  desolation  as  ye  see.  Now  be  ye  not  stiff-necked 
as  your  fathers  were,  but  yield  yourselves  unto  the  Lord 
and  enter  into  his  sanctuary  and  serve  the  Lord  your 
God,  that  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath  may  turn  away  from 
you."  It  was  indeed  the  very  crisis  of  their  destiny — 
such  multitudes  of  their  nearest  and  dearest  ones 
already  cut  down  by  the  sword  or  borne  away  into  cap- 
tivity before  their  very  eyes,  and  nothing  but  repent- 
ance and  returning  to  God  could  by  any  possibility 
avert  the  same  uplifted  arm  from  blotting  out  the  whole 

northern  kingdom. This   tender  and  fervid  appeal 

fitly  closed  with  reminding  them  of  God's  great  com- 
passion :    "  For  the  Lord  your  God  is  gracious  and  mer- 


350  HEZEKIAH. 

ciful,  and  will  not  turn  away  his  face  from  you  if  ye 
return  unto  him  "  (v.  9).  "  the  posts  passed  from  city 
to  city  through  Ephraim  and  Manasseh  even  unto  Zebu- 
Ion  ;  but "  (with  sorrow  let  it  be  read),  "  they  laughed 
them  to  scorn  and  mocked  them."  This  was  the  gene- 
ral fact,  true  of  the  masses ;  but  there  were  some  brighter 
shades :  "  Nevertheless  divers  of  Asher  and  Manasseh 
and  of  Zebulon  humbled  themselves  and  came  to  Jeru- 
salem."  With  a  high  degree  of  probability  Ps.  84  was 

composed  and  sent  out  with  these  Jewish  missionaries 
to  be  not  only  read  but  sung,  to  back  up  their  w^arm- 
hearted  invitations  to  their  northern  brethren  to  gather 
themselves  at  the  holy  city  in  those  lovely  tabernacles 
of  the  Lord  of  Hosts.  The  sweet  associations  linked  to 
the  courts  of  the  Lord ;  the  blessedness  of  those  who 
have  Jehovah  as  their  sun  and  shield — how  finely  are 
they  portrayed  in  this  Psalm  and  how  exceedingly  perti- 
nent were  these  w^ords  to  be  said  and  sung  w^herever 

audience  could  be  gained. Several  other  Psalms  of 

the  third  Book  may  be  read  in  connection  with  the  age 

of  Hezekiah,  e.  f/.,  75,  76,  80-82,  and  85-89. Judah 

came  in  well.  "In  Judah  the  hand  of  God  was  to 
give  them  one  heart   to  do  the  commandment  of  the 

king  and  of  the  princes  by  the  word  of  the  Lord." 

A  great  congregation  was  on  hand  for  the  Passover  in 
the  second  month.  The  idol-altars  in  Jerusalem  were 
borne  away  and  cast  into  the  brook  Kidron.  Noticeably, 
multitudes  who  came  up  to  the  holy  city  from  the 
northern  tribes  had  not  cleansed  themselves  according 
to  the  law  of  Moses,  5^et  did  they  eat  the  Passover  other- 
wise than  it  was  written.  A  fair  measure  of  sincerity 
was  their  passport,  and  overruled  the  technicalities  and 
ritualities  of  the  law.  In  the  true  spirit  of  his  divine 
Master,  Hezekiah  prayed  for  them — "The  good  Lord 
pardon  every  one  that  prepareth  his  heart  to  seek  God, 
the  Lord  God  of  his  fathers,  though  he  be  not  cleansed 
according  to  the  purification  of  the  sanctuary.  And  the 
Lord  hearkened  to  Hezekiah  and  healed  the  people." 

Tills  too,  as  well  as  the  first  great  season  of  sacrifice, 

was  an  occasion  of  great  gladness.  They  sang  praises 
with  loud  instruments;  they  ate  throughout  the  feast 
seven  days;  they  made  confession  to  the  God  of  their 
fathers ;  the  king  encouraged  all  the  Levites  that  taught 
the  good  knowledge  of  the  Lord.     Seven  days  proved 


HEZEKIAH.  351 

too  short  for  the  great  work  before  them.  The  Spirit  of 
God  was  so  manifestly  upon  the  great  congregation  they 
could  not  close  with  the  first  seven  days,  but  took  coun- 
sel and  by  general  consent  kept  other  seven — a  "  pro- 
tracted meeting"  of  fourteen  days'  continuance  with 
apparently  growing  interest  and  power  to  the  end. 
The  record  testifies  in  precious  detail  that  "all  the  con- 
gregation of  Judah  with  the  priests  and  Levites;  also 
all  the  congregation  that  came  out  of  Israel  with  the 
strangers  both  from  Israel  and  from  Judah  rejoiced.''^ 
There  was  great  joy  in  Jerusalem,  for  no  such  scenes 
had  been  known  there  since  the  great  day  of  Solomon ; 
i.  e.,  at  the  dedication  of  the  temple.  "Then  the  priests 
and  the  Levites  arose  and  blessed  the  people,  and  their 
voice  was  heard,  and  their  prayer  came  up  to  the  holy 
dwelling  place  of  God,  even  unto  heaven." 

If  we  were  to  analyze  the  influences  that  blended  in 
this  great  religious  movement,  we  might  say — the 
ritual  services  of  sacrifices,  altars,  temple,  were  present 
in  their  full  strength ;  perhaps  the  stronger  for  having 
been  long  remitted.  Coupled  with  those  were  the  out- 
pouring of  song;  the  teaching  of  the  good  knowledge 
of  the  Lord;  the  social  power  of  an  immense  congrega- 
tion ;  the  services  protracted  till  the  hearts  of  the  peo- 
ple were  profoundly  impressed;  and  not  least,  the  im- 
mediate historic  antecedents — that  fearful  scourging  of 
war  and  captivity  which  had  sent  death  into  so  many 
households,  and  borne  away  so  many  loved  ones  into  a 
captivity  from  which  nothing  but  national  repentance 
could  move  the  Almighty  to  restore  them.  Nor  let  us 
forget  the  influence  of  the  noble  king,  leading  on  with 
his  whole  heart ;  consecrating  treasure  without  stint, 
and  promptly  foremost  in  every  point  where  his  hand 
could  touch  the  springs  of  a  great  movement.  All  in 
all  it  was  a  scene  of  moral  sublimity  rarely  equaled. 

When  this  great  Passover  scene  was  finished,  the 
people  were  in  heart  prepared  for  one  more  service 
imperatively  demanded,  viz.,  the  destruction  of  idol- 
images,  altars,  and  groves  throughout  all  the  cities  and 
high  places  of  both  Judah  and  Israel.  That  the}^  should 
go  forth  en  masse  throughout  Judah  on  this  mission  was 
to  be  expected.  Such  a  reformation  would  have  been 
wretchedly  su])erficial  and  shallow  without  it.  But 
that  they  should  have  gone  forth  over  all  the  kingdom 


352  HEZEKIAH. 

of  Hoshea  as  if  there  were  no  such  king  there  ;  that 
they  should  go  where  they  would  with  no  apparent  re- 
sistance : — this  is  truly  a  wonderful  proof  of  the  zealous 
enthusiasm  and  of  the  moral  power  of  this  great  refor- 
mation.  Recalling  to  mind  the  fact  that  this  great 

revival  and  this  breaking  down  of  idols  in  the  north- 
ern kingdom  preceded  the  invasion  under  Shalmanezer 
by  only  three  years,  and  the  total  destruction  of 
Samaria  and  the  entire  northern  kingdom  by  not  more 
than  six  years,  we  shall  see  reason  to  regard  this  as  not 
only  God's  last  call  of  mercy  to  thousands  in  the  north- 
ern kingdom,  but  as  his  grand  providential  agency  for 
sifting  out  his  own  chosen  ones ;  gathering  in  all  whom 
the  most  efficient  agency  could  avail  to  save  before  the 
final  storm  should  sweep  the  nation  forever  into 
ruin. 

The  historian  of  Chronicles  devotes  one  chapter  (31) 
mainly  to  the  systematic  arrangements  for  the  religious 
services  which  very  properly  filled  out  and  consum- 
mated this  great  revival.  After  that  vigorous  icona- 
clasm  which  swept  the  vestiges  of  idolatry  from  the 
land,  Hezekiah  set  the  Levites  and  priests  in  their 
respective  courses,  giving  jsach  his  duties  in  due  order, 
and  carefully  made  the  provisions  required  by  the  law 
of  Moses  for  the  payment  of  tithes  and  offerings  to  sus- 
tain the  entire  religious  system.  It  testifies  nobly  to 
the  genuineness  of  this  revival  that  the  offerings  of 
all  first-fruits  and  treasure  were  abundant,  even  almost 
superabundant.  Ample  store-houses  became  a  neces- 
sity.  The  historian  concludes  his  account  with  joy- 
ous words  bearing  grateful  testimony  to  the  good  King 
Hezekiah:  "Thus  did  Hezekiah  throughout  all  Judah, 
and  wrought  that  which  was  good  and  right  and  truth 
before  the  Lord  his  God.  And  in  every  work  that  he 
began  in  the  service  of  the  house  of  God  and  in  the  law 
and  in  the  commandments  to  seek  his  God,  he  did  it 

with  all  his  heart  and  prospered  "  (31 :  20,  21). Let 

us  hope  that  as  the  fruit  of  his  noble  labors  many  souls 
were  born  to  God  and  blessed  with  the  fulness  of  his 
great  salvation.  If  Ezra  (as  may  be  supposed)  wrote 
out  this  history  in  Chronicles,  we  can  readily  imagine 
with  what  full  heart  and  flowing  pen  he  chronicled 
the  words  and  doings  of  such  a  king,  and  laid  them 
l)efore  the  returned  exiles  of  his  time  to  help  onward  a 


HEZEKIAH.  353 

similar  reformation  in  souls  made  mellow  under  long 
and  sore  affliction,  but  then  waking  to  new  joy  and  to 
spiritual  life  under  the  precious  services  of  a  new 
sanctuar3^ 

The  political  events  in  Hezekiah's  reign  are  drawn 
out  in  detail  in  2  Kings  18-20,  and  in  Isaiah  36-39. 
Suffice  it  to  say  here  that  Sennacherib  seems  to  have 
made  two  expeditions  into  Judea.  In  the  first  he  came 
"  up  against  all  the  fenced  cities  of  Judah  and  took  them" 
(2  Kings  18 :  13,  and  2  Chron.  32 :  1) ;  received  Heze- 
kiah's submission  and  tribute,  but  did  not  march  upon 
Jerusalem.  In  the  second  "  he  sent  Rabshakeh  with  a 
great  host  against  Jerusalem  "  (2  Kings  18 :  17,  and  2 
Chron.  32:  9),  himself,  meantime,  laying  siege  to 
Lachish.  The  speech  of  Rabshakeh  is  given  in  detail ; 
also  its  reception  by  the  king,  his  bearing  the  case  be- 
fore God,  and  the  gracious  answer  God  gave  him,  fol- 
lowed in  due  time  by  the  fearful  destruction  of  the 
Assyrian  army  to  the  number  of  185,000  men  in  one 
night.  This  effectually  broke  his  power;  relieved  the 
holy  city,  and  saved  the  throne  and  people  of  Heze- 
kiah  from  being  further  annoyed  by  the  Assyrian 
armies.  This  deliverance  was  the  great  event  of  Heze- 
kiah's reign,  and  indeed,  of  those  ages.  It  had  been 
repeatedly  predicted  by  Isaiah  {e.  g.,  10:  24-34,  and  14: 
24-27,  and  17 :  12-14,  and  33 :  17-24).  Consequently, 
its  historical  fulfillment  should  find  place  in  his  book 

(chaps.  36  and  37). The  great  moral  lessons  of  this 

event  are  embalmed  in  song  in  Psalm  76:  "  In  Judah 
is  God  known:  his  name  is  great  in  Israel.  There 
brake  he  the  arrows  of  the  bow,  the  shield,  and  the 
sword,  and  the  battle.  The  stout-hearted  are  spoiled; 
they  have  slept  their  sleep.  At  thy  rebuke,  O  God  of 
Jacob,  both  the  chariot  and  the  horse  are  cast  into  a 

dead  sleep." What  a  "  sleep  "  was  that !   when  God 

arose  to  judgment  to  save  the  meek  ones  of  the  land. 
Let  it  teach  us  that  verily  the  wrath  of  man  is  made 
to  praise  God,  and  that  it  behooves  his  people,  having 
vowed  to  God  in  their  distress,  to  pay  their  vows  with 
grateful  thank-ofl'erings  when  such  deliverance  comes. 

This    manifestation  of   God's  high   hand   against 

proud  Assyria  was  a  fit  sequel  to  the  glorious  reforma- 
tion in  the  first   year  of  Hezekiah's  reign.     The  way 
was  opened  legitimately  for  such  prayer  as  God  could 
16 


354  HEZEKIAH. 

hear,  and  with  honor  to  himself  could  answer  in  over- 
whelming judgments  on  his  foes. 

The  date,  within  Hezekiah's  reign,  of  these  Assyrian 
invasions  has  been  gravely  questioned  by  Geo.  Rawlin- 
son,  as  has  been  stated  at  some  length  in  my  Notes  on 
Isa.  37.  The  Scripture  statements  are  in  a  good  degree 
definite  and  self-consistent,  assigning  the  first  invasion 
to  Hezekiah's  fourteenth  year  (2  Kings  18 :  13,  and  Isa. 
36:  1),  and  implying  that  the  second  followed  the  first 
at  no  long  interval.  The  author  of  Chronicles  is  in- 
definite, yet  seems  to  imply  that  it  fell  within  the 
early  and  not  the  latter  part  of  his  reign,  after  the  great 
reformation  and  the  thorough  reorganization  of  relig- 
ious worship — his  words  being  : — "  After  these  things 
and  the  establishment  thereof"  (2  Chron.  32:  1).  In 
harmony  with  these  dates  his  sickness  and  miraculous 
recovery  fell  in  close  connection,  perhaps  between  the 
first  invasion  and  the  second,  since  his  entire  reign 
filled  twenty-nine  years,  of  which  fifteen  followed  this 

sickness    and    fourteen    preceded. Mr.    Rawlinson, 

however,  insists  that  the  AssjTian  inscriptions  require 
a  place  for  Sargon  between  Shalmanezer  and  Sennach- 
erib, since  Sargon  finished  the  subjugation  of  Samaria 
in  his  first  year  (the  sixth  of  Hezekiah)  and  reigned 
not  less  than  fifteen  years,  and  probably  nineteen.  Sen- 
nacherib (his  son  and  successor)  invaded  Judah  accord- 
ing to  Assyrian  authorities  in  his  fourth  year.  These 
data  require  us  to  place  the  destruction  of  Sennacherib's 
army  in  Hezekiah's  twenty-seventh  or  twenty-ninth 
year  instead  of  his  fourteenth.  In  Mr.  Rawlinson's 
view  the  Assyrian  authorities  are  so  definite  and  strong 
to  these  points  that  Ave  must  either  deny  their  author- 
ity altogether,  or  modify  the  dates  of  Scripture  to  con- 
form to  them.* 

But  this  scheme  of  Mr.  Rawlinson  is  not  only  out  of 
harmony  with  the  definite  dates  of  Scripture  (e.  g.,  the 
fourteenth  year  of  Hezekiah,  2  Kings  18  :  13,  etc.),  but 
with  the  general  current  of  events,  specially  as  given  in 
2  Chron.  32 :  22-30.  For  here  the  order  of  great  events 
runs :  The  destruction  of  the  Assyrian  army  (v.  21)  ; 
the  saving  of  Hezekiah  and  his  people  from  all  other 

•••  Rawlinson's  views  may  be  seen  in  Smith's  Dictionary  ("  Sargon") ; 
also  in  Lis  "  Historical  Illustrations,"  138-141,  and  in  his  Historical 
Evidences,  118-120. 


MANASSEH.  355 

enemies,  and  "  guiding  them  on  every  side  "  (v.  22)  ;  a 
great  influx  of  gifts  and  presents  "so  that  he  was  mag- 
nified in  the  sight  of  all  nations  from  thenceforth " 
(v.  23);  next  "w  those  days  fell  his  great  sickness" 
(v.  24)  from  which  he  was  restored  and  lived  after  it 
fifteen  years — a  fact  which,  located  here,  is  utterly  re- 
pugnant to  Mr.  R.'s  theory.  Still  after  this  came  a 
period  of  remarkable  prosperity,  great  riches  and  honor 
(vs.  27-29),  coupled  with  more  exploits  than  can  be 
rationally  supposed  to  have  fallen  within  the  last  two 
years  of  his  life.  I  do  not  see  therefore  how  we  can 
believe  that  the  sacred  writers  put  the  destruction  of 
the  Assyrians  within  the  last  two  years  of  Hezekiah's 
reign. 

Of  the  later  events  of  his  reign  Isaiah  (in  chapter  39) 
has  given  most  fully  the  account  of  the  embassadors 
from  the  king  of  Babylon  :  the  author  of  Chronicles 
only  has  referred  to  the  divine  purpose  in  this  moral 
trial  of  Hezekiah,  viz.,  that  "God  left  him"  {i.  e.,  with- 
out special  direction  or  without  restraining  grace  or 
special  admonition)  "  to  try  him  that  he  might  know 
all  that  was  in  his  heart." 

Viewed  in  whole  his  character  is  not  unblemished, 
yet  is  in  the  main  that  of  a  man  of  prayer  and  of  both 
favor  and  power  with  God,  whose  reign  bore  a  glorious 
testimony  to  Jehovah's  presence  with  his  people,  and  to 
the  might  of  his  arm  for  their  salvation.  The  impulses 
of  those  memorable  scenes  live  and  are  borne  down 
through  all  time  in  the  sublime  faith  and  the  glorious 
visions  of  Isaiah  the  prophet.  His  eye  saw  them  ;  his 
soul  felt  their  utmost  thrilling  power.  The  spirit  of 
prophecy  availed  itself  of  those  present  manifestations 
of  God  to  exalt  his  conceptions  of  the  glorious  future 
of  the  real  Zion — the  city  and  kingdom  of  the  Great 
God. 

Manasseh. 

To  Manasseh,  son  and  successor  of  Hezekiah,  and  to 
his  son  Anion,  each  of  our  historians  devotes  one  chap- 
ter (2  Kings. 21,  and  2  Chron.  33).  Alike  these  his- 
torians testify  to  Manasseh's  great  wickedness — how  he 
set  himself  to  undo  all  the  noble  reformatory  work  liis 
father  had  done;  how  he  built  up  the  high  places  his 
father  had   thrown   down,  desecrated   the  temple  his 


356  MANASSEH. 

father  had  cleansed;  burnt  his  son  in  the  fire;  prac- 
ticed divination  and  witchcraft ;  built  altars  for  all  the 
host  of  heaven  in  the  two  courts  of  the  house  of  the 
Lord;  filled  Jerusalem  with  innocent  blood — supposa- 
bly  of  sons  and  dau.i^hters  burned  to  death  in  the  orgies 
of  devil-worship.  The  author  of  Kings  attributes  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the  captivity  of  Judah 
specially  to  these  great  sins  of  Manasseh,  both  in  this 
chapter  (vs.  10-16),  and  also  in  chap.  23:  26,  27,  and 

24  :  3,  4. The  author  of  Chronicles,  omitting  these 

points,  gives  new  and  not  unimportant  matter,  particu- 
larly that  the  Lord  brought  upon  Manasseh  the  great 
Assyrian  army  wdio  "  took  him  among  the  thorns,  * 
bound  him  w4th  fetters  and  carried  him  to  Babylon," 
that  there  in  his  affliction  he  besought  the  Lord  his  God 
and  humbled  himself  before  the  God  of  his  fathers  and 
prayed  to  him ;  and  the  Lord  was  entreated  of  him — 
and  restored  him  again  to  Jerusalem.  Then  Manasseh 
knew  that  the  Lord  was  truly  God.  After  this  repent- 
ance he  removed  his  idol-gods  and  altars  from  the  tem- 
jjle  ;  repaired  the  Lord's  altar ;  offered  sacrifice  thereon  ; 
and  commanded  Judah  to  serve  the  Lord  God  of  Israel. 
He  also  refers  to  the  words  of  the  seers  who  spake  to 
him  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  also  to  his  prayer 
and  confession  as  being  on  record  in  the  national 
archives,  "written  among  the  sayings  of  the  seers." 

Why  the  author  of  Kings  omitted  the  captivity,  re- 
pentance, and  reformation  of  Manasseh  does  not  appear. 
Probably  it  occurred  late  in  his  long  reign  (55  years), 
and  being  followed  soon  by  the  intensely  wicked  reign 
of  his  son  Anion,  scarcely  lessened  the  strong  drift  of 
the  nation  into  the  worst  abominations  of  idolatry. 
The  general  influence  of  Manasseh  on  the  nation  was 
fearfully  bad. 

As  Christian  philosophers,  cherishing  moreover  a 
living  faith  in  the  great  promise  of  God  to  Abraham 
and  through  him  to  the  whole  church : — "  I  will  be  a 
God  to  thee  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee,"  we  can  by  no 
means  pass  unnoticed  the  grave  question ;  How  could  so 
good  a  man  as  Ilezekiah  have  a  son  so  ivicked  as  Manasseh  f 

*  The  best  critics  reject  the  sense  "  thorns  "  and  give  to  the  Hebrew 
word  the  sense  of  rinffs — the  same  which  were  put  through  the  jaws 
of  a  fish  when  placed  back  in  the  water,  that  by  means  of  a  cord  at- 
tached they  might  bring  him  up  again. 


MANASSEH.  357 

Every  Christian  parent  has  reason  to  ponder  the 

question  with  personal,  not  to  say  painful,  interest. 

The  following  considerations  may  serve  at  least  to  abate 

our  surprise  at  the  fLict, (a)  Manasseh  was  but  twelve 

years  old  at  his  father's  death.  He  was  yet  unborn  when 
the  great  reformation  in  Hezekiah's  first  year  occurred; 
he  was  not  yet  born  when  his  father  was  sick  unto 
death  and  when  his  life  was  prolonged  fifteen  years. 
According  to  dates  and  implications  of  the  Scripture 
narrative,  he  was  not  living  to  see  the  great  deliverance 
from  the  Assyrian  power.  The  history  of  Hezekiah's 
last  twelve  years  speaks  chiefly  of  his  general  pros- 
perity; of  his  great  riches  and  honor;  and  probably 
includes  that  visit  from  the  embassadors  of  the  king 
of  Babylon — in  general  the  darker  side  of  Hezekiah's 
religious  life.  Hence  the  bearing  of  public  events 
upon  the  mind  and  heart  of  a  lad  under  twelve  may  not 

have  been  specially  favorable. (b)  We  know  nothing 

of  his  mother  save  her  name,  and  can  make  no  account 
of  the  defects  or  of  the  possible  mischiefs  of  her  moral 
training  of  her  son. (cj  Philosophically  we  are  en- 
titled to  make  some  (perhaps  large)  account  of  the  law 
of  reaction.  Hezekiah's  reformation  left  multitudes 
still  (in  heart)  in  their  sins.  Restrained  while  he  lived 
from  open  idolatry,  yet  in  heart  real  idolaters,  they  were 
ready  at  his  death  for  a  bold  rush  into  those  abomina- 
tions. There  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  Manasseh 
moved  off  alone  at  the  age  of  twelve  in  his  wild  career 
of  depravity.  There  must  have  been  strong  surround- 
ing influences  pressing  him  on  in  that  direction.  It 
would  be  simply  human  nature  if  those  influences  were 
largely  reactionary  against  the  restraints  upon  sin  in 
Hezekiah's  reign.  To  this  we  may  add  that  probably 
this  reactionary  law  worked  strongly  upon  Manasseh 
himself.  The  godliness  of  Hezekiah's  family  and  of 
his  personal  character  quite  failed  to  change  the  heart 
of  this  son  ;  it  may  have  only  chafed  and  fretted  him  by 
the  restraints  it  brought  upon  his  impulses  toward  sin- 
ful pleasure.  When  the  death  of  his  father  suddenly 
removed  these  restraints  and  brought  around  him  men 
of  leading  influence  like-minded  in  their  propensities 
toward  the  extreme  abominations  of  heathenism,  there 

is  no  occasion  for  surprise  at  the  result. The  moral 

lesson  for  every  Christian  parent  in  this  history  is  pri- 


o58  JOSIAH. 

marily  this :  Be  intensely  earnest  and  thorough  in 
securing  radical  conversion  in  the  very  earliest  years  of  life. 
To  die,  leaving  a  godless  son  of  twelve  years  to  run  such 
a  career  as  Manasseh  ran,  should  appall  ever}^  heart  with 
dread  and  intensify  every  endeavor  to  forestall  it. 

Returning  to  the  course  of  this  history,  -we  note  that 
Anion,  son  and  successor  of  Manasseh,  came  to  the 
throne  at  the  age  of  twent3^-two ;  reigned  but  two  years, 
simply  and  onl}^  in  wickedness;  and  seems  to  have  out- 
raged his  people  by  his  crimes.  His  servants  conspired 
against  him  and  slew  him  in  his  own  house.  A  reign 
of  vastly  more  interest  and  importance  followed. 

Josiah. 

The  history  of  this  last  good  king  of  Judah  fills  two 
chapters  in  Kings  (22  and  23),  and  two  in  Chronicles 
(8-4  and  35).  "  The  people  of  the  land  "  (says  the  author 
of  Chronicles)  "made  him  king  in  the  stead  of  his 
wicked  father,"  though  at  the  very  early  age  of  eight 
3'ears.  It  would  seem  that  in  this  case  also,  as  in  that 
of  Manasseh,  a  somewhat  large  allowance  must  be  made 
for  reactionary  influence — here  from  revolting,  outra- 
geous wickedness  toward  a  better  life.  Of  the  first  eight 
years  of  his  reign  we  have  no  historic  notice ;  but  in  his 
sixteenth  year  of  life — the  eighth  of  his  reign,  while  he 
was  yet  young,  he  began  to  seek  after  the  God  of  Dayid 
his  father;  and  four  years  later  began  to  purge  Judah 
and  Jerusalem  from  the  images  and  groves  of  idolatry. 
This  work  was  thoroughly  done. The  next  impor- 
tant measure  of  reform,  assigned  to  the  eighteenth  year 
of  liis  reign,  was  to  repair  and  purify  the  temple.  At 
tliis  point  the  history  shows  that  Josiah  had  good  and 
strong  men  in  high  positions  to  aid  him  in  this  great 
reform,  e.  g.,  Shaphan;  Masseiah,  governor  of  the  city; 
Ililkiah  the  High  Priest — some  of  whom  appear  in  Jere- 
miah's book  of  prophecies  (Jer.  26:  24,  and  32:  7,  12). 
This  last  reformation  in  Judah  was  pressed  forward  with 
noble  zeal  by  Josiah,  the  points  specially  expanded  in 
the  narrative  being,  the  cleansing  and  repairs  of  the 
tcmi)le ;  the  destruction  of  all  idol-images  and  of  all  the 
apjHirtenances  of  idol-worship,  not  only  in  Jerusalem 
and  in  Judah,  but  extensively  throughout  the  ancient 
territory  of  other  tribes— the  cities  of  Manasseh,  Eph- 


josiAH.  359 

raim,  Simeon,  even  to  Naphtali  being  mentioned  (2 
Chron.  34  :  6).  Noticeably,  he  not  only  destroj^ed  but 
defiled  and  sought  to  make  repulsive  and  unendurable 
all  localities  desecrated  by  the  abominations  of  idol-wor- 
ship, filling  those  places  with  dead  men's  bones  and  all 
unclean ness.  Bethel,  made  infamous  by  Jeroboam,  and 
Tophet  already  foul  with  the  blood  of  human  sacrifices 
to  Moloch,  he  sought  to  defile  so  effectually  as  to  break 
forever  the  spell  of  the  old  associations.  The  historian 
of  Kings  spoke  of  his  putting  away  all  who  wrought 
with  familiar  spirits  or  other  magic  arts,  and  gave  him 
the  credit  of  surpassing  all  kings  before  him  in  turning 
to  the  Lord  with  all  his  heart  according  to  the  law  of 

Moses  ^^  (23:  24,  25). One  prominent   event  of  this 

reform  was  a  very  remarkable  celebration  of  the  Pass- 
over which  the  author  of  Chronicles  (characteristicall}^) 
narrates  quite  fully  (35 :  1-19),  closing  with  this  high 
praise :  "  There  v/as  no  passover  like  to  that,  kept  in 
Israel,  from  the  days  of  Samuel  the  prophet,  neither  did 
all  the  kings  of  Israel  keep  such  a  passover  as  Josiah 
kept,"  etc.  We  may  hope  that  the  legitimate  influ- 
ences of  that  great  festival  were  turned  to  best  account 
to  bring  the  people  back  to  the  true  worship  of  the  God 
of  their  fathers,  and  to  stem  the  already  alarming  drift 
of  popular  feeling  toward  the  worst  forms  of  idol-abomi- 
nations. 

Yet  one  other  event  has  made  the  reign  of  Josiah 
noticeable,  not  to  say,  memorable ; — the  discovery  of 
what  was  (probably)  the  original  copy  of  the  book  of 
the  law.     It  was  brought  to  light  as  the  officers  were 

*  An  inside  view  of  the  spirit  and  times  of  Josiah  may  be  obtained 
from  the  Psalms  composed  or  at  least  compiled  during  his  reign  or 
soon  after.  The  fourth  book  of  the  Psalter  (Ps.  90-106)  falls  under 
this  description.  We  can  scarcely  be  mistaken  in  ascribing  the  com- 
pilation of  this  fourth  book  to  Jeremiah,  The  sympathy  due  to  kin- 
dred spirit  and  to  similar  surroundings  attracted  him  to  Ps.  90 — to 
which  Ps.  91  is  a  counterpart.  Ps.  101  well  expresses  the  noble  spirit 
of  youthful  piety  and  holy  purpose  which  the  history  clearly  assumes 
in  the  young  King  Josiah.  We  seem  to  have  the  very  heart  and  hand 
of  Jeremiah  in  Ps.  102 — written  in  view  of  the  events  of  his  later 
years;  Ps.  92  and  93  are  at  least  pertinent  to  the  times  of  that  great 
reformation;  while  Ps.  lOG  may  well  refer  to  the  first  great  deporta- 
tion of  captives.  It  is  pleasant  to  hope  that  the  joyous  thanksgivings 
of  that  precious  revival  gave  tone  to  Ps.  95-100  and  103-105.  For  a 
more  full  discussion  of  the  historic  occasion  and  reference  of  these 
Psalms,  I  must  refer  the  reader  to  my  Notes  on  these  Psalms. 


360  JOSIAH. 

depositing  in  their  proper  place  in  the  temple  certain 
money's  contributed  for  its  repair  and  worship.  The 
remarkable  things  in  this  case,  as  the  account  comes  to 
us,  were — the  surprise  occasioned  by  this  discovery; 
the  impression  made  upon  the  king  when  portions  of 
this  book  were  read  to  him ;  the  resort  to  Huldah  the 
prophetess  for  direction  from  the  Lord;  and  her  mes- 
sage from  the  Lord  to  Josiah  in  reply. This  event 

has  seemed  to  some  rather  skeptical  critics  to  justify 
them  in  the  assumption  that  no  written  copy  of  this 
law  had  been  in  existence  before,  and  that  this  may 
(or  must)  have  been  a  forgery,  then  for  the  first  time 
brought  out  to  the  world.  But  the  narrative  gives  no 
support  to  these  assumptions.  The  profound  and  start- 
ling impression  made  upon  the  king  by  the  reading 
of  this  book  may  have  been  due  wholly  to  the  fact 
that  it  brought  to  him  the  very  words  of  God  through 
Moses — supposably  those  fearful  denunciations  of  judg- 
ment for  idolatry  which  may  be  seen  in  Lev.  26  and 

Deut.   28. The  narrative  does  seem  to  imply  that 

written  copies  of  the  Pentateuch  were  not  at  that  time 
abundant.  Very  probably  Josiah  had  no  copy  in  his 
possession,  as  the  Mosaic  law  required  the  king  of  Israel 

to  have. On  the  other  hand  it  may  be  supposed  that 

a  peculiarly  solemn  impression  was  made  upon  him  by 
the  circumstance  that  this  was  (or  was  supposed  to  be) 
the  original  copy,  handed  down  from  Moses;  and  by 
the  further  fact  that  the  passages  read  to  him  were 
those  aV)ove  referred  to  which  met  so  pertinently  the 
case  of  the  men  of  his  generation,  and,  therefore,  seemed 
to  bring  down  those  fearful  maledictions  fresh  from  the 
lips  of  the  Almighty,  thundering  against  the  very  peo- 
ple for  whom  he  was  in  a  sort  responsible  as  their 
king.  This  copy  may  have  been  withdrawn  from  view 
during  the  long  reign  (fifty-five  years)  of  Manasseh — 
perhaps  lest  his  ungodliness  should  imperil  its  safety. 
More  than  one  generation  may  have  passed  away  while 
its  hiding-place  Avas  unknown.  Then  coming  to  light 
so  unexpectedly  at  a  time  when  its  fearful  maledictions 
were  apparently  (and  really  too)  on  the  verge  of  fulfill- 
ment, it  need  surprise  no  one  that  Josiah  was  startled 
and  his  soul  moved  to  its  depths. =-It  should  be  spe- 
cially noticed  that  the  message  sent  through  the  proph- 
etess,   though    speaking    very    kindly   of  Josiah    and 


JOSIAH.  361 

promising  that  these  judgments  should  not  fall  on  his 
people  during  his  life,  yet* expressly  declared  that  they 
were  near  at  hand :  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord ;  Behold,  I 
will  bring  evil  on  this  place  and  upon  the  inhabitants 
thereof,  even  all  the  words  of  the  book  which  the  king 
of  Judah  hath  read,  because  they  have  forsaken  me 
and  have  burned  incense  to  other  gods  .  .  .  there- 
fore, my  wrath  shall  be  kindled  against  this  place  and 
shall  not  be  quenched"  (2  Kings  22:  16,  17).  The 
appalling  truth  was,  therefore,  forced  upon  Josiah  that 
all  hope  of  saving  his  nation  was  virtually  extinguished; 
that  his  great  effort  at  reformation  might  delay  the 
outbursting  of  these  judgments;  might  save  many  indi- 
vidual souls  from  perdition;  but  could  not  perma- 
nently arrest  the  downward  proclivity  of  the  masses; 

could  not  effectually  save  the  nation. It  is  not  easy 

to  estimate  the  sad,  depressing,  and  yet  quickening 

impulses  of  such  a  revelation  from  God. Moreover, 

Josiah  saw  that  it  must  be  so.  The  power  of  idolatry 
throughout  his  kingdom  w^as  terrific ;  the  heart  of  the 
masses  w'as  fearfully  saturated  with  its  spirit.  He 
could  send  abroad  his  roj^al  mandate  and  find  a  few 
trusty  men  to  arm  wath  his  authority  to  go  forth,  level- 
ing heathen  groves,  crashing  down  idol-images  and 
altars,  burning  dead  men's  bones  on  all  desecrated 
localities ;  but  it  must  have  been  a  mountain  of  lead 
on  his  heart  to  think  that  the  roots  of  this  awful  sin 
would  yet  remain,  and  that  not  many  years  would 
elapse  before  the  vials  of  God's  wrath  would  be  poured 
out  for  sins  and  abominations  that  defied  all  remed3^ 

The  great  Passover  and  the  discovery  of  this  copy  of 
the  law  are  both  assigned  to  the  eighteenth  year  of 
Josiah's  reign.  Jeremiah  had  then  been  in  his  pro- 
phetic work  five  j^ears.  Thirteen  more  remained  before 
Josiah's  death.  So  far  as  can  be  inferred  from  the  his- 
tory he  continued  to  reign  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord  to 
his  death.  The  manner  of  this  death  brings  a  slight 
shade  over  his  name — the  historian  of  Chronicles  inti- 
mating that  his  collision  with  Pharaoh  Necho  in  arms 
was  against  the  will  of  God ;  "  he  hearkened  not  to  the 
words  of  Necho  from  the  mouth  of  GodJ^  Necho  had 
said  to  Josiah — then  marching  upon  liim  for  battle  : 
"What  have  I  to  do  with  thee,  thou  king  of  Judah? 
I  come  not  against  thee  this  day,  but  against  the  house 


362  THE  SONS  OF  JOSIAH. 

wherewith  I  have  war"  (the  Chaldean),  "for  God  com- 
manded me  to  make  haste  :  forbear  then  from  meddling 
with  God  who  is  with  me  that  he  destroy  thee  not " 
(2  Chron.  35 :  21,  22).  This  movement  was  on  Josiah's 
part  a  mistake.  Plow  clearly  he  saw  it  to  be  against 
God's  will  (if  at  all)  we  can  not  decide  with  confidence. 
He  might  have  asked  God's  will  and  have  received  a 
perfect  answer.  The  result  was  sad;  it  brought  deep 
sorrow  upon  all  his  good  people.  Jeremiah  bewailed 
his  noble  sovereign  and  bosom  friend  with  tenderest 
lamentation — and  not  without  reason.  There  were 
graceless  sons  to  succeed  their  godly  father  on  his 
throne — not  one  worthy  man  among  them  all.  Days 
of  bitter  trial  and  of  stinging  grief  were  coming  upon 
Jeremiah,  and  perhaps,  to  no  small  extent,  upon  those 
other  good  men  who  had  wrought  in  this  great  reforma- 
tion. They  must  breast  the  fury  of  this  storm — and 
with  no  sustaining  fiope  of  arresting  the  near  impend- 
ing doom  of  their  country. 

In  explanation  and  partial  vindication  of  Josiah's 
policy  in  going  out  to  fight  Necho,  it  may  be  said  that 
he  probably  regarded  this  movement  by  Necho  as  one 
for  conquest,  and  as  ultimately  dangerous  to  his  own 
kingdom.  He  may  have  acted  in  concert  with  other 
powers,  Syrian  or  Chaldean,  in  this  effort  to  repel  a 

foreign    intruder    and    invader. But    on    the   other 

hand,  we  may  ask — Had  he  sought  counsel  of  the  Lord 
in  the  case?  Was  he  acting  as  the  ally  of  Babylon  or 
of  Damascus;  and  if  so,  had  he  not  forgotten  the  Mighty 
God  of  Jacob — always  able  to  protect  his  own?  PoHti- 
cal  alliances,  offensive  and  defensive,  were  alw^^ys  a 
snare  and  a  curse  to  God's  people. 

The  Sons  of  Josiah. 

After  Josiah's  death  the  people  placed  on  the  throne, 
not  his  eldest  son  Jehoiakim,  but  a  younger  son 
Jehoahaz,  probably  as  giving  better  promise.  His  age 
was  twenty-three;  Jehoiakim's,  twenty-five.  He  had 
reigned  but  three  months  when  Pharaoh  Necho  "  put 
him  in  bands  at  Riblah  tliat  he  might  not  reign  in 
Jerusalem"  (2  Kings  23:  33);  took  him  a  prisoner  to 
Egypt  where  lie  died ;  put  Jehoiakim  on  the  throne 
and  the  kingdom  under  tribute.     He  reigned  eleven 


THE    SONS   OF    JOSIAH.  363 

years,  supremely  wicked.  The  author  of  Kings,  besides 
saying  that  "he  did  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  ac- 
cording to  all  that  his  ftithers"  [not  including  Josiah 
we  must  assume]  "had  done,"  states  very  particularly 
that  in  raising  this  tribute,  he  "taxed  the  land;" 
"put  the  land  to  a  tribute,"  etc.;  probably  implying 
that  he  took  care  to  exempt  himself  entirely  from  these 
burdens,  and  very  possibly,  to  enrich  himself  from  these 
exactions.  On  the  point  of  his  covetousness  and  self- 
ishness, his  personal  extravagance  and  grinding  oppres- 
sion of  his  people,  Jeremiah  (Jer.  22 :  13-19)  is  very  ex- 
plicit and  very  unsparing  in  his  animadversions. 
While  his  people  were  thus  crushed  by  these  exactions, 
he  was  building  a  palace  for  himself  by  unrighteous- 
ness, shedding  innocent  blood  in  oppression,  using  his 
ro3^al  power  only  in  ways  to  make  his  name  execrable 
and  execrated.  (See  my  Notes  on  Jer.  22.)  On  many 
other  points  Jeremiah's  book  of  prophecy  throws  light 
on  the  character  and  reign  of  Jehoiakim,  showing  him 
to  have  been  not  only  a  merciless  tyrant,  but  a  heartless 
persecutor  of  the  Lord's  prophets — so  recklessly  defiant 
of  God  that  he  could  cut  in  pieces  the  roll  of  Jeremiah's 
prophecies  and  burn  them  in  his  parlor  fire ;  and 
withal  so  false  to  his  treaty  obligations  that  he  brought 
upon  his  kingdom  the  vengeance  of  the  Chaldean  king. 
Nebuchadnezzar  had  defeated  the  Egyptians  in  a  great 
battle  at  Carchemish  (Jer.  46  :  2)  and  forced  them  back 
into  Egypt.  Then  coming  up  against  Jerusalem,  he  put 
Jehoiakim  under  tribute, — who  soon  rebelled  and  thus 
brought  on  a  more  vigorous  subjugation,  and  the  first 
heavy  installment  of  captives  was  borne  away  to  Baby- 
lon. To  this  event  Ave  find  allusion  in  Dan.  1 — him- 
self and  his  three  friends  with  several  thousands  of  the 
leading  men  being  taken  into  captivity  at  that  time. 
The  events  of  Jehoiakim's  latter  years  and  death  are 
referred  to  only  in  general  terms.  The  author  of  Chron- 
icles (36 :  6)  seems  to  imply  that  he  was  bound  in  fetters 
to  be  taken  to  Babylon,  while  Jeremiah  (22:  18,  19) 
assumes  that  he  died  unwept  and  uncared  for  in  Jeru- 
salem. Nebuchadnezzar  placed  his  son  Jehoiachin  on 
the  throne.  He  held  it  three  months  only  and  then 
was  taken  captive  to  Babylon,  to  lie  there  in  bonds  at 
least  thirty-seven  years — to  the  death  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar.   A  considerable  number  of  the  most  capable 


364  THE    CAPTIVITY. 

men  of  Jerusalem  and  Judah  were  taken  to  Babylon  at 
the  same  time  (2  Kings  24 :  12-16),  including  most  of 
the  royal  family,  the  princes  and  all  the  mighty  men  of 
valor;  tlie  craVtsmen  and  smiths — the  efficient  men, 
capable  of  doing  something  in  the  arts  of  war  or  peace; 
leaving  in  the  country  as  of  no  particular  account  "  the 
poorest  sort  of  the  people  of  the  land." 

The  king  of  Babylon  then  placed  on  the  throne  yet 
another  son  of  Josiah,  viz.,  Zedekiah,  who  did  only  evil 
before  God;  proved  himself  treacherous  to  his  sovereign, 
and  after  seven  years  provoked  a  final  invasion  of  Judah 
and  siege  of  Jerusalem.  In  his  ninth  year  this  ended 
in  its  capture  and  total  destruction.  City  and  temple 
went  down  together  into  the  abyss  of  complete  destruc- 
tion— violence  and  fire  leveling  the  walls  of  both  city 
and  temple,  and  leaving  the  whole  a  blackened  pile  of 
ruins.  The  king  was  arrested  in  his  flight,  his  sons  put 
to  death  before  his  eyes ;  then  his  eyes  put  out  and  him- 
self taken  in  chains  to  Babylon  and  kept  there  in  prison 
till  his  death  (Jer.  52  :  8-11).  Only  a  miserable  rem- 
nant were  left  in  the  land,  whose  history  Jeremiah  only 
has  given  (Jer.  40-44).  For  some  reason  he  preferred 
to  cast  in  his  lot  with  them  instead  of  going  with  the 
better  class  of  surviving  Jews  to  Babylon.  He  seems  to 
have  followed  this  last  wretched  group  of  ineflicient 
men  and  women  —  infatuated  idolaters  —  into  Egypt. 
where  he  disappeared  from  history. 

The  Captivity. 

Such  in  brief  terms  is  a  general  view  of  the  events 
which  culminated  in  the  deportation  of  the  better  part 
of  the  surviving  Jews  to  Babylon;  in  the  capture  of 
their  great  city  and  the  destruction  of  both  city  and 

temple. The  points  most  worthy  of  sj^ecial  notice 

are : 

(1)  The  successive  deportations  of  Jews,  at  four  dis- 
tinct periods;  the  first  in  the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim, 
when  Daniel  and  his  three  friends  were  taken  to  Baby- 
lon. The  number  taken  at  this  time  was  probably 
small,  but  the  quality,  superior.  (See  Dan.  1  :  3-7.) 
Next  when  Jehoiachin  was  taken  to  Babylon.  The 
author  of  Kings  gives  the  round  numbers  and  the  gene- 
ral character  of  the  captives  taken  at  this  time  (2  Kings 


THE   CAPTIVITY.  365 

24  :  12-16).  Jeremiah  (Jer.  52  :  28)  locates  this  deporta- 
tion in  the  seventh  year  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  which 
would  be  the  eleventh  of  Jehoiakim,  or  first  of  his  son 

Jehoiachin. Next   at   the  fall  of  the  city  in  Zede- 

kiah's  eleventh  and  last  year;  the  eighteenth  of  Nebu- 
chadnezzar. Jeremiah  puts  the  number  of  captives  at 
this  lime  at  832.  After  this  the  last  gleanings  were 
gathered  up  by  Nebuzaradan,  in  Nebuchadnezzar's 
twenty-third  year,  to  the  number  of  745.  Thus  a  period 
of  twenty-three  years  intervened  between  the  first 
deportation  and  the  last.  The  total  number  taken  away 
is  put  by  Jeremiah  at  4600.^-^  In  2  Kings  24:  14,  16, 
in  round  numbers  (perhaps)  10,000.  This  may  be  the 
number  in  gross — of  which  some  specifications  appear 
in  V.  16;  7,000  of  one  class;  1,000  of  another,  leaving 
about  2,000  of  the  high  classes,  princes  and  leading  men 
in  society. 

(2)  The  numbers  carried  to  Babylon  were  small, 
relativeh^  to  the  immense  numbers  which  appear  from 
time  to  time,  e.  ^.,  in  the  reigns  of  Asa  and  Jehoshaphat. 
The  crimes  of  Ahaz  and  the  judgments  sent  for  his 
sins  cut  off  immense  numbers.  The  wicked  reigns  of 
Manasseh  and  Amon  reduced  them  still  further. 
Under  the  wicked  sons  and  grandson  of  Josiah  the 
same  process  went  on  with  accelerated  rapidity.  This 
last  siege  of  the  city  was  probably  at  a  fearful  cost  of 
human  life  through  the  combined  agencies  of  sword, 
famine,  and  pestilence. 

On  the  moral  side  of  this  series  of  events  let  us 
note  : 

^  (1)  That  it  came  in  fulfillment  of  prediction  and 
threatened  judgment,  long  since  first  made  and  often 
repeated.  Through  Moses  (Lev.  26  and  Deut.  28)  these 
judgments  were  spread  out  in  various  language,  with 
impressive  minuteness,  and  in  figures  most  appalling. 
After  this,  from  age  to  age,  God  sent  his  prophets  to 
reiterate  these  terrible  threatenings  and  press  them  in 
utmost  earnestness  upon  the  heart  and  conscience  of 
the  people.  What  could  the  Lord  have  done  more? 
How  patiently  and  long  had  he  been  sending  to  them 
his  servants  the  prophets,  "rising  up  early  and  send- 
ing ; " — but  alas !  they  would  not  hear ! 

*  Probably  by  some  textual  error  too  small. 


366  THE   CAPTIVITY. 

Nothing  now  remained  but  the  execution  of  this  long 
threatened  doom.  To  have  postponed  it  longer  would 
have  imperiled  the  moral  force  of  God's  government 
over  guilty  men.  To  have  ignored  his  threatenings 
and  passed  over  this  awful  sin  without  due  retribution 
would  have  broken  down  the  divine  veracity  and 
utterly  misrepresented  the  Holy  God  before  both  earth 
and  heaven.  It  was  one  of  those  stern  and  awful  mo- 
ments in  the  moral  history  of  a  moral  world  when 
it  is  simply  imperative  upon  the  Almighty  that  his 
arm  should  be  uplifted  high  in  judgment  and  his  indig- 
nation against  sin  should  blaze  forth — in  the  language 
of  this  inspired  history — that  his  "  wrath  should  arise 
against  his"  (nominal)  ''people,  and  there  be  no  rem- 
edy" (2Chron.  36:  16). 

(2)  Idolatry  was  the  head  sin.  For  ages. the  national 
depravity  had  gravitated  perpetually  and  with  fearful 
force  toward  this  gigantic  wickedness.  Ever  since 
Aaron  made  the  golden  calf  and  the  people  danced  and 
shouted  around  it  in  wild  revelry,  this  sin  had  been 
springing  to  the  surface;  giving  a  sad  tone  and  dark 
shading  to  the  history  of  the  Judges;  crowded  back 
more  effectually  than  at  any  other  time  during  the 
reign  of  David;  working  up  with  strange  fascination 
in  the  latter  years  of  Solomon;  darkening  the  whole 
northern  kingdom  during  its  entire  continuance;  and, 
finally,  pressing  in  upon  the  southern  kingdom  till  its 
spirit  pervaded  the  mass  of  the  people,  past  all  moral 
remedies. It  is  not  easy  in  this  age  to  conceive  ade- 
quately the  fascinating  power  of  a  sj'stem  which  had 
so  intrenched  itself  in  the  superstitions  of  all  nations^ 
which  drew  to  its  support  the  attractions  of  art,  taste, 
culture  ;  which  fostered  and  fed  lasciviousness  and  lust; 
and  yet  which  strangely  seized  upon  the  religious  ele- 
ments of  man's  nature  and  sought  by  the  basest  per- 
versions to  adjust  itself  to  all  their  demands.  A  relig- 
ion made  subservient  to  the  lowest  and  the  utmost 
impulses  of  human  depravity — who  can  adequately 
measure  its  capabilities  to  curse  mankind!  This  was 
the  form  of  sin  against  which  the  divine  law  thun- 
dered; against  which  prophets  protested,  and  God's 
providential  judgments  and  retributions  were  leveled 
and  poured  out  age  after  age,  culminating  at  last  in 
this  most   terrific  scourge — the  blotting  out   (for  the 


THE   CAPTIVITY.  367 

time)  of  the  whole  Jewish  nation ;  the  fiill  of  their 
holy  city,  and  of  their  ever  memorable  sacred  temple. 

(3)  Another  evil,  too  great  to  be  adequately  esti- 
mated, was  their  reliance  upon  th^  ritualities  and  ex- 
ternals of  their  religion  to  shield  them  from  God's  re- 
tribution for  their  sins.  Were  they  not  the  Lord's  own 
people,  and  was  not  that  gorgeous  building  his  own 
glorious  temple,  and  did  not  the  sacred  presence  of  the 
Holy  One  abide  there  ?  How  could  it  be  possible  that 
God  would  let  this  temple  fall  before  his  enemies  and 
his  own  holy  city  be  laid  desolate  ?  Did  not  the  ark  of 
his  covenant  part  asunder  the  Jordan  waters  and  cast 
down  the  walls  of  Jericho;  and  was  not  the  Almighty 
able  to  protect  ark,  temple,  and  holy  city,  from  uncir- 

cumcised   hands? Thus   this   vain  confidence  took 

the  moral  force  mostly  out  of  those  terrible  threaten- 
ings,  and  in  a  sense  made  it  necessary  that  God  should 
let  city  and  temple  go  down  under  an  avalanche  of 
desolation  ere  he  could  dislodge  this  delusion  from  their 
souls. 

(4)  Consequently  the  two  great  moral  results  sought 
by  means  of  this  destruction  of  city  and  temple  and  of 
this  seventy  years'  captivity,  were — (a)  To  cure  the 
nation  of  idolatry ; — (b)  To  break  down  this  false  reli- 
ance on  the  mere  externals  of  their  religious  system. 

The  whole  book  of  Ezekiel  should  be  read  with  these 
points  in  mind.  Every  chapter,  almost  every  verse, 
shines  in  the  light  of  these  truths  and  bears  to  their 
illustration.  Of  his  forty-eight  chapters,  the  first 
twenty-four  protest  with  unwearied  breath  against 
the  national  sin  of  idolatry ;  set  forth  with  perpetual 
reiteration  the  foulness  of  the  sin,  its  terrible  grasp  on 
the  national  heart,  its  incessant  and  resistless  demand 
for  the  most  appalling  retribution  :  while  all  along  the 
prophet  labors  to  make  the  captive  exiles  believe  that 
their  ritualities  and  sacred  things  could  by  no  means 
avert  from  them  the  judgments  of  the  Almighty. 
Noticeably,  it  was  not  till  the  tidings  came  to  them  in 
their  captivity  that  the  city  had  actually  fallen  and 
that  the  holy  temple  did  certainly  lie  in  ruins,  that 

this  vain  confidence  broke  down  ! From  this  point 

the  entire  tone  of  the  prophet  changes;  the  despondent, 
broken-hearted  people  needed  the  consolations  of  hope, 
and  the  prophet  hastens  to  supply  them.      A  great 


368  THE  CAPTIVITY. 

moral  crisis  had  been  reached  in  the  discipline  and  ciiU 
ture  of  the  Jewish  people.  Wonderfully,  admirably,  did 
the  prophet  Ezekiel  adjust  his  messages  accordingly.^ 

(5.)  Bearing  in  mind  that  it  was  never  the  thought 
of  God  to  forsake  his  people  utterly  and  forget  forever- 
more  his  promises  to  Abraham  and  the  mercies  made 
sure  to  David,  but  was  rather  his  purpose  to  replant 
the  land  of  promise,  we  may  note  with  admiration 
the  wisdom  of  his  sifting  processes:  first,  in  taking 
away  the  better  elements  into  Babylon,  leaving 
behind  in  Judea  the  men  who  had  sunk  physi- 
cally and  morally  so  low  as  to  be  of  no  particular 
account  as  elements  of  society.  The  king  of  Babylon 
was  not  looking  out  for  religious  men ;  but  he  had  need 
of  men  who  had  some  force  in  them — some  capability 
for  labor  and  service.  This,  therefore,  was  one  of  the 
principles  on  which  he  sifted  the  conquered  people  of 
Judea.  The  other  w^as  equally  simple.  The  men  of 
vigor  and  valor  were  the  men  whom  it  would  be  danger- 
ous for  him  to  leave  behind.    They  might  head  another 

revolt.     Therefore  it  was  wise  to  take  them  away. 

Thus  (unwittingly  as  to  God's  plans)  he  took  away  not 
merely  such  men  as  he  wanted  and  dared  not  leave 
behind,  but  such  men  as  God  wanted  wherewith  to  re- 
plant his  Canaan  in   his  due  time. When  seventy 

years  had  transpired  and  the  Lord  put  it  into  the  heart 
of  Cyrus  to  invite  the  Jews  to  return,  the  sifting  process 
was  again  put  in  requisition — this  time  by  making  it 
a  call  for  volunteers.  Such  a  call  would  of  course  bring 
out  the  men  of  vigor  and  stamina  enough  to  bear  the 
strain  of  the  fatigues  of  a  four  months'  journey,  to  be 
followed  by  the  labors  and  hardships  of  a  new  settle- 
ment ;  and  also  men  of  heart  and  soul  aflame  with  zeal 
and  with  love  for  the  Zion  of  their  fathers — men,  more- 
over, whose  faith  took  hold  of  God's  everlasting  cove- 
nant. The  willing,  the  earnest  and  true-hearted— not 
the  easy-going  and  indifierent — would  respond  to  this 
call ;  the  men  of  moral  heroism  wdio  could  welcome  sac- 
rifice and  hardship  for  the  love  they  bore  to  the  land 
of  their  fathers'  sepulchers  and  for  their  faith  in  the 
yet  unfulfilled  promises  of  his  covenant. 

Some  one  has  said  that  in  looking  for  seed  to  plant 

*  I  must  be  allowed  to  refer  the  reader  for  a  more  full  develop- 
ment of  these  points  to  my  Notes  on  Ezekiel. 


SACRED    HISTORY   CONFIRMED  BY   PROFANE.  369 

New  England,  two  and  a  half  centuries  ago,  the  Lord 
sifted  two  kingdoms  (England  and  Holland)  for  the 
best  they  had.  With  equal  truth  it  may  be  said  that 
the  Lord  of  providence,  on  the  same  wise  principle, 
sifted  the  Jewish  people  twice  over  to  get  out  the  best 
seed  for  replanting  the  land  of  promise. 

The  history  of  the  Jews  during  this  captivity  is  to  be 
gleaned  chiefly  from  the  books  of  the  prophets,  Jere- 
miah, Ezekiel,  and  Daniel  —  mostly  from  Ezekiel, 
because  his  prophetic  life  and  labors  lay  among  the 
exiles. 

Confirmations  of  Sacred  History  from  Profane  Records  and 
Monuments. 

On  this  point  the  period  from  Hezekiah  to  the  cap- 
tivity should  pass  under  review. 

Of  Hezekiah's  relations  to  Sennacherib,  notice,  per- 
haps sufficiently  full,  has  been  taken  in  my  Notes  on 
Isa.  36-39.  His  history  brings  to  view  two  other  foreign 
monarchs;  Tirhakah,  king  of  Ethiopia  (Egypt  also)  2 
Kings  19:  9;  and  Merodach  Baladan,  king  of  Babylon 
(2  Kings  20  :  12,  13,  and  2  Chron.  32 :  31).  The  former 
is  supposed  by  Rawlinson  to  be  the  "  Tehrah  "  of  the 
Egyptian  monuments,  who  reigned  over  Egypt  B.  C. 
690-667;  the  third  king  of  Manetho's  25th  dynasty. 
The  ancient,  never-failing  antipathy  between  Egypt 
and  Assyria  would  naturally  bring  him  to  the  help  of 
Hezekiah  against  Sennacherib  if  his  aftairs  at  home 

would  permit  such  an  expedition  abroad. Merodach 

of  Babylon  was  in  hostile  relations  toward  Assyria,  and 
therefore  naturall}^  in  sympathy  with  Hezekiali.^ 

•The  king  of  Assyria  who  took  Manasseh  to  Babylon 
should  be  by  his  date  Esarhaddon,  who  succeeded  Sen- 
nacherib on  the  throne  of  Assyria. But  why  should 

he  take  Manasseh  to  Babylon  rather  than  to  Nineveh, 
the  proper  capital  of  Assyria? In  answer,  Rawlin- 
son brings  out  two  points:— (1)  That  on  the  Assyrian 
inscriptions  ISIanasseh  appears  in  the  list  of  Esarhad- 
don's  tributaries; — (2)  That,  according  to  their  inscrip- 
tions, Esarhaddon  not  only  took  the  title  of  "  king  of 
Babylon,"  but  built  himself  a  palace  there,  in  which  it 
must  be  presumed  he  occasionally  resided.     In  these 

*  See  Rawlinson's  Historical  Illustrations,  pages  147,  148. 


370         SACRED   HISTORY   CONFIRMED   BY   PROFANE. 

years  the  relations  of  Babylon  to  Nineveh  were  fluc- 
tuating— Babylon  rising  relatively  in  strength  and  im- 
portance; sometimes  subject  to  Assyria,  but  fast  attain- 
ing the  power  with  which  not  long  after,  aided  by  the 
Medes,  she  subdued  Nineveh  and  quite  eclipsed  her  an- 
cient glory.* 

Josiah  is  said  (2  Chron.  35 :  20-24)  to  have  gone  out 
to  war  against  Pharaoh  Necho,  then  passing  through 
Northern  Palestine  on  his  way  to  the  Eui^hrates.  Pro- 
fane history  sustains  this  point  in  the  sacred  record. 
Herodotus  states  that  "  Necho  made  war  by  land  upon 
the  Syrians  and  defeated  them  in  a  pitched  battle  at 

Magdolus." In  this  passage  "  the  Syrians  "  naturally 

include  the  Jews  as  seen  by  a  Greek  historian.  Mag- 
dolus answers  to  the  Hebrew  "  Megiddo." Jeremiah 

states  (46 :  2)  that  Nebuchadnezzar  (four  years  later) 
defeated  Pharaoh  Necho  in  a  great  battle  at  Carchemish 
on  the  Euphrates,  and  followed  up  this  victory  by 
smiting  the  land  of  Egypt  (46:  13).  AVith  this  cor- 
responds the  statement  of  the  Scriptures  that  Necho 
"  came  no  more  out  of  his  land  "  (2  Kings  24 :  7)  "  for  the 
king  of  Babylon  had  taken  from  the  river  of  Egypt 
unto  the  river  Euphrates  all  that  pertained  to  the  king 
of  Egypt."  Berosus  bears  his  testimony  to  the  same 
point  in  a  fragment  that  comes  down  in  Josephus 
(against  Apion  1 :  19). 

In  the  next  section  of  Scripture  history,  Jehoiakim, 
Jehoiachin,  and  Zedekiah  are  brought  in  contact  with 
Nebuchadnezzar  king  of  Babylon.  Does  profane  his- 
tory sustain  these  coincidences  ? 

Profane  history  locates  Nebuchadnezzar  precisely 
liere,  coming  to  the  throne  of  Babylon  in  the  fourth 
year  of  Jehoiakim — the  very  year  of  the  first  great  de- 
portation of  captives,  and  reigning  forty-three  years. 
Berosus  records  that,  "having  conquered  the  Jews,  he 
burnt  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  and  removing  the 
entire  people  from  their  homes,  transported  them  to 

Babylon." More  details  on  the  Chaldean  side  would 

probably  have  come  down  to  our  age  if  the  monuments 
of  Babylon  had  been  as  enduring  as  those  of  Nineveh. 
For  our  knowledge  of  ancient  Chaldean  history  it  is 
unfortunate  that  the  materials  of  art  and  architecture 
in  Babylon  were  signally  perishable. 

*Rawlinsons  Illustrations,  page  150. 


THE  restoration;  its  antecedents.  871 

Pharaoh  Hophra  whose  name  appears  (Jer.  44 :  30)  is 
recognized  in  Egyptian  authorities  under  the  name 
Aprics  or  Ilaifra-het,  ruling  over  Egypt  B.  C.  SSS-SSG.'J'- 


CHAPTER    XII. 

The  Age  of  the  Restoration. 

One  of  the  great  events  of  Hebrew  history  is  the 
restoration  of  the  captive  Jews  from  Babylon  to  their 
own  land — great  as  restoring  the  chosen  people  again  to 
the  land  of  promise ;  great  as  providing  for  the  con- 
summation of  God's  great  plans  for  the  future  kingdom 
of  his  Messiah ;  great  as  the  accomplishment  of  many 
precious  promises  and  as  the  pledge  for  the  fulfillment 
of  yet  other  and  greater  ;  great  also  for  its  moral  results 
upon  the  character  of  the  exiled  people. 

The  duration  of  this  captivity  is  commonly  put  in 
both  prophecy  and  history  at  seventy  years.  Strictly 
considered,  the  captivity  can  not  be  dated  wholly  from 
any  one  epoch.  As  we  have  seen,  there  were  several 
successive  deportations  of  captives,  the  earliest  having 
been  i-n  the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim;  the  latest  of 

*Geo.  Rawlinson  in  "Historical  Illustrations"  (p.  154)  suras  up  in 
these  words  the  coincidences  between  the  sacred  record  and  the  pro- 
fane during  the   period  from  the  revolt  to  the  captivity. "They 

include  notices  of  almost  every  foreign  monarch  mentioned  in  the 
course  of  the  [sacred]  narrative — of  Shishak,  Zerah,  Ben-hadad, 
Hazael,  Mesha,  Rezin,  Pul,  Tiglath-pileser,  Shalmanezer,  So,  Sargon, 
Sennacherib,  Tirhakah,  INIerodach  Baladan,  Esarhaddon,  Necho, 
Nebuchadnezzar,  Evil-merodach,  and  Apries; — and  of  the  Jewish  or 
Israelite  kings,  Omri,  Ahab,  Jehu,  Ahaziah,  Menahem,  Pekah,  Ahaz, 
Hoshea,  Hezekiah,  and  Manasseh.  All  these  monarchs  occur  in  pro- 
fane history  in  the  order  and  at  or  near  the  time  which  the  sacred 
narrative  assigns  to  them.  The  synchronisms  which  that  narrative 
supplies  are  borne  out  wherever  there  is  any  further  evidence  on  the 
subject.  The  general  condition  of  the  powers  which  came  into  con- 
tact with  the  Jews  is  rightly  described;  and  the  fluctuations  which 
they  experience,  their  alternations  of  glory  and  depression,  are  cor- 
rectly given.  No  discrepancy  occurs  between  the  sacred  and  the  pro- 
fane throughout  the  entire  period,  excepting  here  and  there  a  chrono- 
logical one.  And  these  chronological  discrepancies  arc  in  no  case 
serious." 


372  THE  restoration;  its  antecedents. 

much  note  at  the  point  of  the  capture  and  destruction 
of  the  city,  in  Zedekiah's  eleventh  year,  eighteen  years 
Later  than  the  first.  The  edict  of  Cyrus  for  the  restora- 
tion was  seventy  years  after  the  first  deportation  of 
captives — tlie  restoration  bearing  date  B.  C.  53G;  the 
first  deportation  B.  C.  606. 

The  antecedents  of  this  restoration  fall  naturally  into 
two  classes:  (a.)  The  moral  and  religious;  (b.)  The 
political. 

(a.)  On  the  moral  and  religious  side,  w^e  learn  espe- 
cially from  the  prophetical  books  of  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel, 
and  Daniel,  that  the  Jews  in  their  captivity  had 
humbled  themselves  greatly  before  God,  were  confessing 
their  sins  and  seeking  his  face  with  all  their  heart. 
In  point  as  illustrating  their  moral  and  spiritual  state, 
see  Jer.  29 :  10-14,  and  30,  and  31 ;  Ezek.  36 :  24-38,  and 
.37 ;  and  Dan.  9,  and  also  Ps.  102 :  13-24. 

Inasmuch  as  the  captivity  occurred  at  all  only  for 
moral  reasons,  the  Lord  having  caused  his  people  to  go 
into  this  captivity  only  for  their  great  sins,  so  there 
could  be  no  restoration  until  their  moral  state  was 
effectually  changed ;  till  their  hearts  were  turned  from 
idols,  broken  in  penitence  and  confession  of  sins,  and 
lifted  to  God  in  prayer  for  mercy.  On  these  conditions 
God  had  all  along  promised  his  pardon  and  favor. 
These  conditions  being  in  a  good  degree  fulfilled,  he  re- 
turned to  his  people  in  mercy,  their  captive  chains 
Avere  broken,  and  they  were  free  to  return  to  their 
land. 

(b.)  On  the  political  side,  God  made  Cjaais,  king  of 
the  Medo-Persian  Empire,  his  great  instrument — first, 
to  conquer  Babylon  and  annex  it  to  his  empire;  then 
to  issue  his  decree  inviting  all  Jews  who  would  to  re- 
turn to  their  own  land ;  particularly  encouraging  them 
to  rebuild  their  temple  and  aiding  them  in  this  enter- 
prise.    The  terms  of  this  decree  are  memorable : 

2.  Thus  saitli  Cyrus  king  of  Persia,  The  Lord  God  of  heaven  liath 
given  nie  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth;  and  he  hath  charged  me  to 
build  him  a  house  at  Jerusalem,  which  is  in  Judah. 

3.  Who  is  there  among  you  of  all  his  people?  his  God  be  with  him, 
and  let  him  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  which  is  in  Judah,  and  build  the 
liouse  of  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  (he  is  the  God,)  which  is  in  Jeru- 
salem. 

4.  And  whosoever  remaineth  in  any  place  where  he  sojourneth,  let 
the  men  of  his  place  help  him  with  silver,  and  with  gold,  and  with 


THE  restoration;  its  antecedents.  373 

goods,  and  with  beasts,  besides  tlie  freewill  offering  for  the  house  of 
God  that  is  in  Jerusalem. 

Jewish  tradition  holds  that  Daniel,  occupying  a  high 
position  in  the  court  of  Cyrus,  brought  to  his  attention 
the  prophecies  of  Isaiah  which  even  name  Cyrus  as 
God's  servant  (Isa.  44  :  26-28,  and  45  :  1-4). 

26.  That  confirmeth  the  word  of  his  servant,  and  performeth  the 
counsel  of  his  messengers;  that  saith  to  Jerusalem,  Thou  shalt  be  in- 
habited; and  to  the  cities  of  Judah,  Ye  shall  be  built,  and  I  will 
raise  up  the  decayed  places  thereof: 

27.  That  saith  to  the  deep,  Be  dry,  and  I  will  dry  up  thy  rivers : 

28.  That  saith  of  Cyrus,  lie  is  my  shepherd,  and  shall  perform  all 
my  pleasure:  even  saying  to  Jerusalem,  Thou  shalt  be  built;  and  to 
the  temple,  Thy  foundation  shall  be  laid. 

1.  Thus  saith  the  Lord  to  his  anointed,  to  Cyrus,  whose  right  hand 
I  have  holden,  to  subdue  nations  before  him;  and  I  will  loose  the 
loins  of  kings,  to  open  before  him  the  two- leaved  gates;  and  the 
gates  shall  not  be  shut: 

2.  I  will  go  before  thee  and  make  the  crooked  places  straight:  I 
will  break  in  pieces  the  gates  of  brass,  and  cut  in  sunder  the  bars 
of  iron : 

3.  And  I  will  give  thee  the  treasures  of  darkness,  and  hidden 
riches  of  secret  places,  that  thou  mayest  know  that  I,  the  Lord, 
which  call  thee  by  thy  name,  am  the  God  of  Israel. 

4.  For  Jacob  my  servant's  sake,  and  Israel  mine  elect,  I  have 
even  called  thee  by  thy  name :  I  have  surnamed  thee,  though  thou 
hast  not  known  me. 

There  is  no  good  reason  to  question  this  Jewish  tra- 
dition. We  know  that  Daniel  stood  high  at  the  court 
of  Cyrus;  had  ready  access  to  his  ear;  was  familiar 
with  Hebrew  prophecy;  was  aware  that  God's  time  for 
the  restoration  had  come  and  was  laboring  and  pra3^ing 
for  this  result.  In  fact  Daniel  was  raised  up  of  God  for 
this  emergency  as  truly  as  Cyrus.  The  men  whom 
God  makes  for  a  great  emergency  always  come  to  time 

and  do  their  duty. The  Jewish  tradition  adequately 

accounts  for  facts  otherwise  not  easily  if  even  possibly 
accounted  for.  Hence  this  imperial  summons  to  all 
who  recognized  themselves  as  God's  people — "Who  is 
there  among  you  of  all  his  people?  His  God  be  with 
him  and  let  him  go  up,"  etc.  Wherever  a  Jew  is  found 
sojourning  among  us  (Ezra  1 :  4),  let  his  neighbors  aid 
him  with  silver,  gold,  goods,  and  beasts  of  burden,  etc., 
and  let  that  temple  be  rebuilt. 

This  decree  paved  the  way  for  the  restoration.  The 
policy  of  the  Chaldean  kings  was  scarcely  less  hostile 


374   HISTORY   OF  THE  RESTORED  PEOPLE  ;  BOOK  OF  EZRA. 

to  the  restoration  than  Pharaoh's  to  the  release  of  the 
Hebrews  from  their  bondage.  It  was  therefore  of  the 
Lord  to  break  down  that  policy  by  breaking  down  the 
throne  that  worked  it  and  ruled  under  it.  The  Lord 
not  only  needed  Cyrus  but  called  him;  not  only  called 
but  made  him.  Cyrus  was  his  servant — made  all  that 
he  was,  to  do  his  Master's  pleasure.     He  did  it. 

The  History  of  the  Restored  People. 

This  is  found  chiefly  in  the  books  of  Ezra  and  of 
Nehemiah ;  with  some  new  light  from  the  three  proph- 
ets of  the  restoration,  Haggai,  Zechariah,  Malachi ; 
and  the  fifth  book  of  the  Psalter,  viz.,  Ps.  107-150— all 
compiled  and  some  composed,  during  this  age. 

The  hook  of  Ezra  may  on  good  grounds  be  accepted  as 
written  or  compiled  by  himself.  It  has  always  borne 
his  name  in  a  way  which  assumes  a  standing  tradition 
of  his  authorship.  From  chap.  7,  onward  to  the  close 
he  was  an  important  actor  in  the  great  events  here 
recorded,  and  therefore  probably  the  original  author. 
The  first  six  chapters  are  largely  made  up  of  public 
documents  which  must  have  been  within  his  easy  reach. 
The  events  which  transpired  before  he  arrived  from 
Babylon  may  have  been  put  on  record  first  by  other 
hands ;  e.  g.,  chap.  1  by  Daniel ;  chap.  2  is  a  public  docu- 
ment which  the  proper  officers  should  prepare ;  chaps. 
3-6  we  may  ascribe  to  Haggai  or  some  one  in  like  posi- 
tion.    On   this  theory,  Ezra's  labor  on  these  chapters 

(1-6)  would  be  only  that  of  compiler. Moreover  being 

by  profession  a  "  scribe  of  the  law  of  God,"  he  was  of  all 
the  man  to  compile  and  prepare  this  book.  We  have 
seen  good  reason  to  assume  that  he  wrote  and  compiled 
the  books  of  Chronicles.  Much  more  should  we  ascribe 
to  liis  hand  this  book. 

The  state  document  in  7 :  12-26  is  in  the  Chaldaic 
dialect ;  also  the  passage  4  :  8,  to  6 :  18.  The  rest  of  the 
book  is  in  Hebrew,  yet  with  a  few  Chaldaic  words,  indi- 
cating the  age  of  the  composition. 

If  we  study  with  care  the  circumstances  of  the  restored 
people  and  the  matters — political;  moral  and  religious — 
that  were  vital  to  their  prosperity,  we  shall  see  that  the 
subjects  presented  in  this  book  of  Ezra  were  of  prime 
importance.     Let  us  pass  them  rapidly  under  review. 


DECREE   OF    CYRUS;   GENEALOGICAL    RECORD.         375 

Appropriately,  the  great  decree  of  Cyrus  opens  the 
book  (1 :  1-4).  This  decree  must  have  stirred  the  hearts 
of  God's  true  children  to  their  depths  (vs.  5,  6).  All  the 
chief  fathers  and  those  whose  hearts  God  had  touched 
spran^r  to  respond  to  this  call.  Those  Jews  who  did  not 
join  the  caravan,  and  perhaps  others  than  Jews,  put  in 
their  aid  in  money,  valuable  goods  and  beasts  of  burden. 
Cyrus  restored  those  vessels  from  the  old  temple  which 
Nebuchadnezzar  brought  away — catalogued  here  (vs. 
9-11). 

Chap.  2  is  the  enrollment  of  the  first  band  of  returning 
exiles,  by  genealogy.  It  was  of  high  importance  to  trace 
out  and  record  the  pedigree  of  these  men.  Let  it  be 
shown  and  known  that  they  are  indeed  Jeivs — the 
Lord's  chosen  people ;  heirs  of  the  promises  made  to  the 
fathers.  To  bring  out  these  relations  will  be  wholesome 
and  quickening  to  their  hearts.  Scenes  of  hardship 
and  sacrifice  are  before  them.  They  will  endure  the 
better  if  they  recall  their  noble  parentage,  and  remem- 
ber that  they  go  to  replant  the  land  of  their  fathers' 
sepulchers,  and  carry  out  the  grand  purposes  under 
which  God  gave  Canaan  to  their  fathers,  and  all  "  the 

sure  mercies  of  David." A  few  families  of  doubtful 

or  discredited  genealogy  are  specially  noted  (vs.  59,  GI- 
GS). Their  lack  of  pedigree  would  enhance  the  value 
of  a  clean  record  to  those  who  had  it. 

The  total  number  (v.  64)  was  42,360.  Besides  these 
there  were  7,337  servants;  and  200  singers,  making  a 
total  of  49,897-7within  a  small  fraction  of  50,000.  The 
number  of  their  domestic  animals,  beasts  of  burden 
(vs.  Q>(S,  67),  gives  some  idea  of  their  property  and  of 
the  means  of  conveyance  for  their  heavy  goods ;  for  the 
infirm,  for  some  of  the  women  and  children.  The 
masses  must  have  made  the  journey  on  foot. 

Chap.  3  presents  the  people  arrived  and  somewhat 
settled  in  the  land — ready  when  the  memorable  seventh 
month  opened  to  convene  for  the  feast  of  tabernacles. 
Assembling  on  the  first  day  of  the  month,  they  had 
time  to  prepare  the  great  altar  for  burnt-offerings. 
Then  they  resumed  the  regular  morning  and  even- 
ing sacrifice.  Noticeably,  one  reason  assigned  for  pre- 
paring this  great  altar  was  "  their  fear  of  the  peo- 
ple of  those  countries  "  (v.  3).  They  needed  God  on 
their  side  against  enemies  so  formidable,  and  therefore 


37G       FOUNDATIONS   OF    THE    SECOND   TEMPLE    LAID. 

must  establish  his  worship  promptly  and  heartily. 

Presently  they  commenced  their  preparations  for  re- 
building the  temple,  contracting  for  timber  and  mate- 
rials with  the  men  of  Tyre  and  Zidon,  as  Solomon  had 
done  for  the  lirst  temple  (v.  7).  Ezra  gives  carefully 
the  date  when  the  foundations  were  laid — in  the  second 
year  and  second  month  of  their  restoration.  Then  the 
foundations  were  laid  with  appropriate  services  of 
thanksgiving  and  praise.  In  this  service  the  emotions 
of  the  great  congregation  rose  high,  expressed  with 
ringing  shouts  of  joy  as  well  as  songs  of  praise  and  the 

glorious  C3^mbals  and   trumpets. But   some   of  the 

more  ancient  men — the  venerable  fathers  w^ho  had  seen 
the  first  temple  in  its  glory — Avere  sad  and  tearful,  even 
to  "  Aveeping  with  a  loud  voice."  Ah,  it  reminded  them 
of  other  and  better  days !  Even  in  the  foundations 
they  saw  how  far  inferior  this  temple  must  be — not  to 
say  that  the  reminiscences  awakened  Avould  bear  their 
thought  across  the  great  sorrows  of  their  captivity  to 
the  agony  of  those  scenes  of  fire  and  blood  and  desola- 
tion when  the  city  fell  and  the  temple  went  down  in 

ashes.    What  a  tempest  of  emotions  ! But  the  young 

were  joyous  to  have  any  temple  at  all.  It  was  so  great 
an  advance  upon  the  sad  privations  of  those  dreary 
years  of  their  Chaldean  bondage.  So  there  were  shouts 
of  joy   and   w^ailings  of   sorrow,  blended  in  touching 

chorus.     "The  sound  thereof  was  heard  afar  off." 

Was  not  this  human  and  earthly?  It  will  not  be  so  in 
that  other  state  where  "God  shall  wipe  tears  away 
from  every  eye." 

Chap.  4  brings  to  view  opposition — artful,  violent, 
formidable.  It  came  from  "  the  people  of  the  land " 
(v.  4) ;  i.  c,  from  the  people  who  were  there  before  the 
Jews  returned — the  Samaritan  population.  They  said 
they  were  brought  there  by  Esarhaddon  (4 :  2) ;  and 
of  various  nations  (vs.  9, 10).  They  first  proposed  to  join 
the  Jews  in  building  the  temple  and  (supposably)  in 
tlie  worship  of  God  there  (v.  2).  This  being  rejected 
(wisely),  they  sought,  to  traduce  and  misrepresent  the 
Jews  at  the  Persian  court.  They  said  that  this  city  had 
been  of  old  in  rebellion  against  the  great  kingdoms  on 
the  Euphrates — not  precisely  against  Persia,  but  Baby- 
lon;  that  when  they  had  rebuilt  their  temple  and  made 
their  city  strong,  they  would  withhold  tribute  from  the 


OPPOSITION    FROM   SAMARITANS.  377 

Persian  .kings  and  detach  from  their  sway  all  the  coun- 
tries west  of  the  Euphrates.  There  had  been  kings 
(they  said)  who  had  held  all  the  country  even  to  the 
great  river — referring  probably  to  David  and  Solomon. 
By  these  artful  representations,  they  obtained  a  rescript 
to  arrest  the  building  of  the  city.  The  work  on  the 
temple  ceased. 

When  and  how  long  was  the  temple-building  suspended  f 

The  answer  turns  upon  the  identity  of  the  Persian 
kings  named   in  this  chapter;  viz.:  Darius,  vs.  5,  24; 

Ahasuerus,  v.  6;   and  Artaxerxes,  vs.  7,  8,  11,  23. 

Various  opinions  have  been  held  as  to  these  kings,  the 
jjreponderance  being  in  favor  of  the  theory  herein  ad- 
vocated, viz. — that  this  Darius  is  Darius  Hystaspes, 
fourth  king  of  this  dynasty,  counting  Cyrus  as  the  first; 
that  Ahasuerus  is  Cambyses,  the  second  in  order;  and 
that  this  Artaxerxes  is  the  third,  better  known  as 
Smerdis  the  Magian.  [For  the  convenience  of  the 
reader  I  place  in  the  margin  a  table  of  this  Persian 
dynasty,  so  far  as  to  include  the  monarchs  who  appear 
in  the  books  of  Ezra,  Nehemiah,  and  Esther.*] 

The  efforts  of  these  adversaries  seem  to  have  been 
unsuccessful  with  Cambyses,  but  successful  with  Smer- 
dis the  Magian,  whose  religious  notions  were  entirely 
adverse  to  the  Jewish  faith.  His  reign  being  short,  the 
entire  period  of  suspended  work  on  the  temple  could 
not  have  been  more  than  two  years. 

In  Ezra  5,  the  prophets  Haggai  and  Zechariah  appear, 
calling  the  people  to  resume  the  rebuilding  of  the  tem- 
ple. Their  books  of  prophecy  concur  with  the  history  to 
this  point.  Under  the  inspiration  of  their  prophetic 
messages  and  personal  influence  the  work  was  resumed 
in  the  second  year  of  Darius  Hystaspes.  Then  a  new 
opposition  arose.  The  leaders  in  this  instance  (de- 
scribed vs.  3,  6)  were  the  high  officials  (governors)  over 
Syria  and  Palestine. These  opponents  were  apparently 

*  NAME.  REIGNED.  NO.OFYRS. 

Cyru3 B.  C.  536-529  7 

Cambyses  [Ahasuerus  of  Ezra  4:  G] 529-522  7^ 

Smerdis    or    Gomates,    [the  Artaxerxes     • 

of  Ez.  4:  7,  8,  11,  23] 522-521  7mo3. 

Darius  Hystaspes 521-485  36 

Xerxes  [the  Ahasuerus  of  Esther] |  ^or~464  or  21 

Artaxerxes  Longimanus 474  (or  464)-424      60  or  40 

17 


378  TEMPLE    FINISHED. 

less  virulent  and  more  candid  than  the  Samaritans  seen 
in  chap.  4,  and  far  less  scornful  and  bitter  than  Sanbal- 
lat  and  his  associates,  as  seen  in  Neh.  4  and  6.  It  is 
well  that  the  reader  should  keep  distinct  in  his  mind 
these  three  sets  of  adversaries — the  first  and  second, 
withstanding  the  work  on  the  temple;  the  third,  the 
work  on  the  city  walls.  This  second  class  of  opponents 
came  to  Jerusalem  in  person  and  demanded  of  the 
elders  their  authority  for  this  rebuilding;  and  asked 
their  names  that  they  might  be  properly  indicted 
before  the  king.  This  gave  those  elders  an  opportunity 
to  refer  to  the  decree  of  Cyrus  under  which  they  were 
acting  (5:  11-15).  Consequently  this  letter  of  com- 
plaint to  King  Darius  carried  with  it  its  own  antidote. 
It  called  for  an  investigation  of  the  records  of  Cyrus' 
reign  where  Darius  found  the  original  decree  and  forth- 
with confirmed  it,  ordering  Tatnai  and  his  associates 
not  only  to  desist  from  all  opposition,  but  positively  to 
help  the  work  forward,  making  appropriations  from  the 
king's  revenue  for  this  purpose.  Under  these  auspi- 
cious circumstances,  coupled  with  aid  and  impulse  from 
the  prophets  Haggai  and  Zechariah  (referred  to  again  6 : 
14),  the  work  moved  forward  rapidly  to  its  completion  in 
the  sixth  year  of  Darius.* 

This  chapter  closes  with  the  dedication  of  the  temple 
— a  joyful  scene  of  glad  and  grateful  thanksgiving  to 
their  God  for  his  favoring  hand  in  this  work.f 

Opening  chapter  7,  we  must  notice  that  a  very  con- 
siderable interval  of  time  lies  between  the  dedication 
of  the  temple  in  the  sixth  year  of  Darius,  and  this  mis- 
sion of  Ezra  in  the  seventh  year  of  Artaxerxes.  It  must 
include — from  the  reign  of  Darius  thirty  years;  of  Xerx- 
es (as  commonly  estimated)  twenty-one ;  of  Artaxerxes 
seven;  total,  fifty-eight.  This  was  Ezra's  introduction 
to  the  Jews  in  Judah.    The  history  gives  his  genealogy 

*  The  "  Artaxerxes  "  of  v.  14  must  be,  not  the  king  of  that  name  in 
chap.  4,  but  he  who  appears  under  this  name  in  Ezra  7:  7,  11,  12,  and 
often  in  Nehemiah — the  successor  of  Xerxes.  He  is  referred  to  here 
not  because  he  bore  anj-  part  in  this  first  building  of  the  temple,  since 
this  was  completed  many  years  before  his  reign  began ;  but  because 
he  aide.l  in  rebuilding  the  city  and  was  fully  in  sympathy  with  Cyrus 
and  Darius. 

^  TThat  the  king  of  Persia  should  be  referred  to  (v.  22)  under  the 
title  of  "king  of  Assyria"  is  due  to  the  fact  that  his  kingdom  em- 
braoijd  all  the  provinces  which  oivginally  constituted  that  empire. 


EZRA   ARRIVES  ;    HIS    COMMISSION.  379 

from  Aaron ;  also  liis  profession  as  "  a  ready  scribe  of 
the  law  of  Moses,"  "  who  had  prepared  his  heart  to 
seek  the  law  of  the  Lord  and  to  do  it,  and  to  teach 
in  Israel  statutes  and  judgments"  (vs.  6,  10).  The 
royal  letters  patent  under  which  he  was  sent  refer  to  his 
character  in  corresponding  terms  (v.  12).  These  papers 
are  given  in  full,  minutely  defining  his  duties  and 
specifying  his  powers,  viz.,  to  "inquire  concerning 
Judah  and  Jerusalem,"  and  under  this  right  of  inquiry, 
doubtless,  to  reform  abuses  and  make  wrong  things 
right ;  to  appoint  magistrates  and  officers ;  also  to  con- 
vey to  the  holy  city  the  free-will  offerings  of  Jews  yet 
living  in  their  eastern  homes ;  to  draw  upon  the  king's 
treasurers  in  the  western  provinces  within  certain 
specified  but  generous  limits  (vs.  21,  22),  and  to  exempt 
from  government  tax  all  who  ministered  in  the  tem- 
ple and  its  worship.  The  king  speaks  as  one  who 
has  at  least  some  faith  in  the  powers  of  the  God  of 
Israel  and  who  would  propitiate  his  favor  through  the 
prayers  and  worship  of  his  chosen  people  (v.  23). 
"Whatsoever  is  commanded  by  the  God  of  heaven,  let 
it  be  diligently  done  for  the  house  of  the  God  of 
heaven ;  for  why  should  there  be  wrath  against  the 
realm  of  the  king  and  his  sons?" For  this  remark- 
able letter,  conferring  powers  so  liberal  in  a  spirit 
so  kind,  Ezra  appropriately  renders  thanks  to  God: 
"  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of  our  fathers  who  hath  put 
this  in  the  king's  heart  to  beautify  the  house  of  the 
Lord  which  is  in  Jerusalem  (v.  27),  and  who  hath  ex- 
tended such  mercy  to  me  before  the  king,  his  coun- 
selors and  mighty  princes." 

Ezra  (chap.  8)  gave  with  great  minuteness  the 
genealogy  of  those  Jews  who  went  to  Judea  with  him 
(vs.  1-14).  Finding  no  Levites  in  the  companv,  he 
sought  and  through  a  kind  providence  found  some' men 
of  great  worth  whom  he  attached  to  his  party.  The 
journey  being  dangerous,  he  relates  with  touching 
simplicity  that  he  was  ashamed  to  ask  the  king  for  an 
armed  convoy  because  he  had  previously  said — "The 
hand  of  our  God  is  upon  all  them  for  good  who  seek 
him ;  but  his  power  and  his  wrath  are  against  all 
them  that  forsake  him."  This  involved  the  nice  ques- 
tion whether  faith  in  God's  protecting  hand  should  be 
held  to  supersede  a  guard  of  armed  men.     Ezra  felt  the 


380  INTERMARRIAGES  WITH    IDOLATERS. 

delicacy  of  the  question  so  deeply  that  he  could  not 
bring  himself  even  to  suggest  to  the  king  to  send  a 
guard;  but  turned  to  fasting  and  prayer  instead.  The 
Lord  heard  their  prayer.  Ezra  joyfully  testified — "  The 
hand  of  our  God  was  upon  us  and  delivered  us  from 
the  hand  of  the  enemy,  and  of  such  as  lay  in  wait  by 
the  way"  (vs.  23-al).  As  they  were  intrusted  with 
valuable  property  to  convey  to  Jerusalem,  involving  no 
small  responsibility  for  its  safe-keeping  and  transmis- 
sion, Ezra  designated  twelve  priests  as  treasurers ;  con- 
signed this  property  to  their  hand  by  definite  count 
and  weight;  and  when  they  arrived  at  Jerusalem,  saw 
it  weighed  and  counted  over  into  the  hands  of  the 
proper  officers  there — an  example  not  to  be  despised. 

The    time    occupied    in    this    journey — from    the 

twelfth  day  of  the  first  month  (8:  31)  to  the  first  day 
of  the  fifth  month  (7 :  9)— suggests  that  they  took  the 
long  route — up  the  valley  of  the  Euphrates  to  Car- 
chemish ;  thence  crossing  the  desert  at  its  narrowest 
point  into  the  valley  of  the  Orontes  and  so  entering 
Palestine  from  the  north  by  "  the  entering  in  of 
Hamath" — which  though  long  (900  miles)  was  the 
usual  route  of  armies  and  of  large  caravans.  Moreover, 
some  time  may  have  been  lost  in  detours  to  avoid  dan- 
gerous localities,  or  known  enemies. 

Intermarriages  luith  Idolaters.     (Ezra  9  and  10.) 

The  first  greetings  were  scarcely  passed  and  their 
fiducial  trusts  disposed  of,  when  Ezra  found  painful 
work  before  him.  Evils  of  most  perilous  sort  had  been 
admitted  into  the  colony.  The  Jews  and  even  their 
priests  and  Levites  had  been  intermarrying  with  idol- 
worshiping  families  of  Canaanite  and  other  adjacent 
tribes.  He  learned  this  first  from  some  of  the  princes. 
They  stated  "  that  the  hand  of  the  princes  and  rulers 
had  been  chief  in  this  trespass"  (10:  2). Such  inter- 
marriages led  toward  idolatry  with  a  social  power  prac- 
tically resistless.  The  only  safety  lay  therefore  in 
arresting  this  thing  instantly;  divorcing  all  heathen 
wives  at  any  cost  of  feeling  or  of  family  ties,  and  in 
taking  a  stand  that  should  put  an  end  forever  to  this 
violation  of  the  law  of  Moses  and  of  God.  Ezra  himself 
was  the  writer  of  this  narrative  and  expressed  in  his 


EZRA  IN  AGONY  AND  IN  PRAYER.         381 

own  words  his  grief  and  horror  when  he  heard  these 
things  (9 :  8,  4)  :  "  I  rent  my  garment  and  my  mantle 
and  plucked  off  the  hair  of  my  head  and  of  my  beard, 
and  sat  down  astonished.  There  gathered  about  me  all 
who  trembled  at  the  Avords  of  the  God  of  Israel  because 
of  this  transgression.  Before  them  I  sat  astonished  till 
the  evening  sacrifice"  —  late  in  the  afternoon  —  the 
usual  hour  of  praj^er.  In  a  case  so  sad,  so  critical,  so 
perilous  to  the  dearest  interests  of  Zion,  what  could  such 
a  man  do  but  pray!  At  the  hour  of  prayer  he  fell  upon 
his  knees,  spread  out  his  hands  unto  the  Lord  his  God, 
and  then  poured  forth  his  heart  in  prayer.  Here  are 
his  words,  expressing  shame  as  well  as  grief  in  view  of 
these  sins;  confessing  them  most  unqualifiedly, reciting 
appropriately  the  history  of  God's  great  mercies  to  his 
people,  every  remembrance  of  which  served  to  intensify 
his  sense  of  the  great  sin  of  his  people,  referring  also  to 
the  admonitions  God  had  sent  through  his  prophets — 
standing  appalled  before  this  great  sin  in  fear  of  God's 
righteous  judgments — appalled,  3'et  imploring  divine 

mercy. Manifestly  this  scene  of  prayer — so  sincere, 

evincing  such  grief  and  horror  toward  this  sin — moved 
the  people  greatly  and  melted  many  hearts.  It  opened 
their  eyes  to  see  great  sin  where  they  had  seen  nothing 
very  wrong  before.  The}^  saw  that  they  had  incurred 
the  wrath  of  God,  and  their  souls  quivered  with  fear. 
Best  of  all,  they  saw  that  something  must  be  done,  and 
resolved  it  should  be — to  wipe  out  this  iniquity.  It  is 
always  easier  to  get  into  sin  than  to  get  out  of  it.  In  a 
sin  of  this  sort,  the  steps  backward  to  undo  the  wrong 
must  be  specially  diliicult.  But  the  hearts  of  the  people 
were  touched — "the  people  wept  very  sore."  Leading 
men  cried  aloud,  "  We  have  transgressed  against  our  God 
and  have  taken  strange  wives  of  the  people  of  the  land; 
3'et  now  there  is  hope  in  Israel  concerning  this  thing  " 
(10:  2).  Wisely  they  suggest  that  this  reform  be 
entered  upon  in  concert ;  that  all  the  people  be  pledged 
on  the  spot,  while  their  hearts  were  tenderly  and 
solemnly  affected,  to  go  through  with  this  reform  as 
rapidly  as  possible.  It  must  take  time,  for  it  was  vital, 
(1)  To  bring  in  all  the  actual  cases;  (2)  To  investigate 
each  several  case  thoroughly;  (3)  To  make  out  the 
proper  writing  of  divorcement,  and  settlement  of  estate. 
But  let  the  whole  matter  bo  determined  past  all  recall, 


382  THE   STEPS   TOWARD   REFORM. 

and  measures  be  taken  to  carry  it  through  with  the 
utmost  expedition.  Accordingl}^  by  proclamation,  all 
the  people  were  summoned  to  Jerusalem  within  three 
days  on  pain  of  confiscation  of  all  their  property  and  of 
exclusion  from  the  congregation  (vs.  7,  8).  All  the 
people  of  Judah  and  Benjamin  were  convened  within 
the  time.  It  was  the  twentieth  day  of  the  ninth  month 
(December) — the  depth  of  their  rainy  season.  "  All  the 
people  sat  in  the  street  [court]  of  the  temple,  trembling 

because  of  this  matter,  and  for  the  great  rain." This 

pouring  rain  in  the  chill  of  bleak  December  put  the 
outside  face  of  nature  in  sympathy  with  their  sad  and 
weeping  hearts.  But  no  discomforts  might  postpone 
action  in  a  case  so  critical  and  momentous.  Ezra  stood 
up  before  them  and  said — "Ye  have  transgressed  and 
taken  strange  wives  to  increase  the  trespass  of  Israel. 
Now,  therefore,  make  confession  to  the  Lord  God  of  your 
fathers  and  do  his  pleasure ;  let  confession  be  followed 
by  swift  reform ;  separate  yourselves  from  the  people 
of  the  land  and  from  your  strange  wives."  Then  all 
the  congregation  with  one  voice  responded — "As  thou 

hast   said,  so  must  we  do." Thus  they  committed 

themselves  to  this  trying  but  imperative  duty.  They 
said  moreover — This  will  require  time :  we  can  not 
stand  in  this  rain  to  see  it  all  done ;  let  a  commission 
be  appointed  to  investigate  and  act  on  each  case;  let 
the  proper  authorities  in  every  city  take  up  the  matter 
— prepare  and  bring  forward  each  several  case,  and  so 
let  the  work  be  carried  through  "until  the  fierce  wrath 
of  our  God  be  turned  from  us  "  (vs.  12-14). 

In  the  result  Ezra  and  certain  chiefs  of  the  fathers, 
were  constituted  a  commission  or  high  court  for  the 
transaction  of  this  business.     After  two  months'  labor 

they  reported  the  business  brought  to  an  end. The 

narrative  closes  with  a  list  of  the  parties  who,  having 
been  implicated  in  this  sin,  had  put  away  their  strange 
wives— some  of  them  having  become  fathers  of  strange 

children. In  v.  15  our  translators  (probably)  missed 

the  sense  of  the  Hebrew  word  "stood"  (putting  it 
"  were  emploj^ed  ").  With  the  preposition  which  fol- 
lows it,  the  meaning  is — stood  against ,  opposed.  Only 
these  two  men  opposed;  two  others  hel])ed  them  ;  but,  as 
the  next  verse  states,  the  children  of  the  captivity 
as  a  body  did  as  they  had  pledged  themselves  to  do. 


CHARACTER   OF    EZRA.  383 

The  immense  majority  -svere  steadfast  and  carried  it 
through. 

Such  are  the  salient  points  of  this  reform,  seen  in 
their  external  aspects.     The  moral  aspects  deserve  a 

few    moments'    thought. Throughout    these    scenes 

Ezra's  character  stands  forth  radiant  in  goodness,  solid 
in  the  best  elements  of  firmness  and  strength.  But  just 
arrived  from  his  far  eastern  home,  charged  with  grave 
responsibilities,  and  we  may  presume  happy  in  san- 
guine anticipations,  he  had  not  dreamed  of  the  presence 
of  such  sin  among  the  people  of  God.  How  was  he 
astounded  and  horrified  to  see  that  the  people  were 
lapsing  back  so  soon  and  so  fearfully  into  that  ruinous 
idolatry  from  which  he  had  hoped  and  supposed  a 
seventy  j^ears'  captivity  had  cleansed  them !  Alas, 
that  so  soon  hopes  and  promises  so  fair  should  be  darkly 
clouded !  He  has  told  us  how  he  was  ashamed,  alarmed, 
horrified;  and  how  his  heart  turned  away  from  all  else 
to  God  in  imploring  supplication  and  confession,  with 
strong  crying  and  tears.  Ps.  119 — with  very  high  prob- 
ability from  his  own  heart  and  hand — witnesses  to  his 
heart  experiences  :  "  Horror  hath  taken  hold  upon  me 
because  of  the  wicked  who  forsake  thy  law  "  (v.  53) ; 
*' Rivers  of  waters  run  down  mine  eyes  because  men  keep 
not  thy  law  "  (v.  136).  So  deeply  is  his  heart  in  sym- 
pathy with  God ;  so  entirely  has  he  adjusted  his  whole 
moral  nature  to  the  revelations  of  God  which  come  to 
him  in  his  pure  and  holy  law !  This  sound  and  solid 
piety — utterly  unlike  mere  sentimentalism,  high  above 
the  best  humanitarianism — accepts  God's  law  as  re- 
flecting down  from  heaven  to  us  his  real  character,  and 
therefore  knows  no  higher — indeed,  no  other  standard 
for  human  duty  than  this. 

Note  also  with  how  firm  a  tread  he  marches  straight 
through  this  fearfully  perplexing,  trying  scene.  Think 
how  many  families  must  be  rent  asunder,  how  many 
ties  cemented  in  the  connubial  relation  must  be  sev- 
ered. Think  of  children  borne  away  from  affectionate 
fathers,  to  be  of  their  homes  and  houseliolds  no  more ! 
Yet  nothing  less  than  this  could  save  the  colony  from 
the  ruin  of  idolatry;  nothing  less  could  redeem  them 
back  to  the  favor  and  protection  of  the  God  of  their 
fathers'  covenant.  Therefore  it  must  be  done.  Many 
heart-strings   must  quiver;    many  tenderest  cords  of 


384  BOOK  OF  NEIIEMIAH. 

earthly  love  he  snapped  in  sunder.  It  costs  fearfully 
to  retrace  the  steps  of  a  sinning  life;  3^et  there  is  no 
alternative  but  duty  or  death!  Ezra  believes  in  the 
wisdom  of  dut3\  Such  an  example  of  manhood  coupled 
Avith  piety  deserves  its  place  in  this  inspired  history. 
Let  us  be  thankful  to  find  it  here. 

It  is,  moreover,  refreshing  to  notice  that  such  men 
have  power.  The  hearts  of  the  nation  were  swayed 
and  melted  by  the  manifest  goodness,  tenderness,  holy 
zeal,  intrepid  firmness,  of  this  one  man.  A  great 
national  sin  which  imperiled  the  very  life  of  the  re- 
stored community  was  arrested,  and  the  nation  once 
more  saved.  A  seventy  years'  captivity  had  fearfully 
scourged  the  nation  for  the  sin  of  idolatry  and  seemed 
to  have  wrought  a  wholesome  horror  of  that  sin;  but 
here  and  now  the  same  sin  was  stealthily  insinuating 
itself  under  a  new  guise  and  alluring  them  to  ruin.  It 
may  be  presumed  they  did  not  think  of  these  inter- 
marriages as  involving  idolatry.  All  the  greater  there- 
fore was  their  danger.  It  was  of  the  Lord's  wisdom  as 
well  as  love  that  this  evil  was  arrested  so  soon.  Sad 
to  say,  we  shall  see  in  the  story  of  Nehemiah  that 
it  broke  forth  yet  once  more. 

Nehemiah, 

The  book  of  Nehemiah  is  a  natural  sequel  to  the  book 
of  p]zra,  continuing  the  history  of  the  restored  people 

yet  a  few  years  further. On  the  point  of  authorship 

there  seems  to  be  no  ground  for  a  question.  The  author 
says  he  is  Nehemiah :  "  The  words  of  Nehemiah,  the 
son  of  Hachaliah."  The  book  is  written  in  the  first 
person  as  if  it  were  his  private  diary  or  journal;  in- 
deed so  private  that  it  records  not  only  public  events 
but  private  personal  experiences.  The  only  question 
of  criticism  as  to  author  and  intent  would  seem  to  be 
whether  it  were  not  originally  written  for  a  private 
diary  rather  than  for  publication.  The  extreme  sim- 
plicity and  the  exquisite  touches  of  personal  experience 
are  so  very  prominent  as  to  give  (may  we  not  say?) 
some  plausibility  to  this  opinion.  Yet 'if  accepted,  the 
book  would  be  none  the  less  valuable — none  the  less 
truthful  and  worthy  of  confidence. 

The  date  of  these  events  is  fortunately  bej^ond  ques- 


nehemiah's  story.  385 

tion.  This  Artaxerxes  is  the  Persian  king  distin- 
guished by  his  specialty — "  Longimanus "  (the  long- 
handed),  son  and  successor  of  Xerxes,  sometimes  called 
"  the  great."  In  his  seventh  year  Ezra  went  from  his 
court  to  Jerusalem.  In  his  twentieth  year  Nehemiah 
followed ;  to  remain  twelve  years  and  then  go  back  to 
his  eastern  home,  and  subsequently  return  to  Judea 
again. 

Nehemiah^ s  Story. 

This  is — that  he  was  the  king's  cup-bearer— in  an 
oriental  court  a  position  of  very  considerable  responsi- 
bilities. It  brought  him  into  near  and  confidential 
relations  to  the  king;  gave  him  free  access  to  his  per- 
son, at  least  on  frequent  occasions,  and  seems  to  have 
carried  with  it  more  or  less  of  official  trusts. 

Being  visited  at  his  home  in  the  palace  at  Shushan 
by  certain  brethren  of  his  from  Judea,  he  inquired  of 
them  concerning  the  Jews  of  the  restoration  and  con- 
cerning Jerusalem.  To  his  great  sorrow,  he  learned  that 
the  remnant  there  were  in  deep  affliction  and  reproach ; 
that  the  city  walls  were  broken  down  and  the  gates 
burned.  It  affected  him  deeply.  He  wrote :  "  I  sat 
down  and  wept  and  mourned  certain  days,  and  fasted 
and  pra3^ed  before  the  God  of  heaven."  His  prayer  is 
here  on  record  (1 :  5-11),  in  every  point  pertinent,  ear- 
nest, humble,  free  in  confession ;  fervent  in  supplication 
— closing  with  the  request  for  "mercy  in  the  sight  of 
this  man,"  i.  e.,  the  king.  He  had  some  foreshadowings 
of  help  through  the  king's  favor.  Soon  called  before  the 
king  with  wine,  his  heart  still  heavy  with  this  fresh 
sorrow,  his  countenance  would  betray  it.  Simply  as  a 
child  he  tells  his  story  :  '*  I  had  never  been  sad  in  the 
king's  presence  before."  The  king  said,  ''  Why  is  thy 
countenance  sad,  since  thou  art  not  sick?  This  must 
be  sorrow  of  heart."  It  was  a  critical  moment.  Nehe- 
miah was  "  sore  afraid."  A  king's  favor  is  sometimes 
capricious.  He  had  some  hope  of  help  from  the  king, 
but  all  might  fail,  and  the  issues  were  so  great  and 
critical  that  his  heart  trembled.  But  his  answer  was 
frank  and  full — "  How  can  I  be  otherwise  than  sad 
when  the  city,  the  place  of  my  fathers'  sepulchers, 
lieth  waste ?"*^  What  would  you  have?  said  the  king. 
Oh,  what  a  moment !     Quick  as  thought,  his  soul  goes 


386  NEHEMIAH  ARRIVES  AT   JERUSALEM. 

forth  to  God  for  help:  "So  I  prayed  to  the  God  of 
heaven."  He  does  not  mean  that  leaving  the  ques- 
tion in  suspense  he  withdrew  to  his  closet  for  prayer; 
but  this,  that  his  mental  eye  was  lifted  to  God  in 
that  spontaneous  outgoing  of  prayer  and  trust  which 
every  Christian  finds  so  natural  and  so  precious.  It 
proved  that  this  ''  king's  heart  was  in  the  hand  of 
the  Lord  to  turn  it  as  he  would"— and  he  gave  Nehe- 
miah  all  he  could  ask ;  leave  of  absence ;  most  liberal 
aid;  letters  to  his  subordinate  officers  west  of  the 
Euphrates;  authority  to  draw  for  timber  and  materials 
for  the  city  walls  and  gates.    The  king  provided  also  an 

armed  escort. Before  he  reached  Jerusalem  he  met 

with  adversaries  bitterly  hostile  to  the  restored  Jews, 
and  grieved  that  one  should  appear  clothed  with  royal 
authority  to  seek  their  welfare.  This  third  set  of 
adversaries,  named  here— Sanballat  the  Horonite  (a 
Moabite  of  Horonaim),  Tobiah  the  Ammonite,  and 
Geshem  the  Arabian — represented  (apparently)  the 
old  antipathy  of  those  nations.  They  come  to  view 
often  in  the  sequel  of  this  story. 

Arrived  at  Jerusalem,  Nehemiah  gave  three  days  tc 
rest  and  to  a  general  introduction  to  his  national  breth- 
ren; then  went  out  alone  b}^  night  to  examine  for 
himself  the  state  of  the  city  walls.  After  this  explora- 
tion he  was  prepared  to  say  to  the  assembled  priests  and 
nobles :  Ye  see  the  distress  we  are  in ;  how  Jerusalem 
lieth  waste;  its  gates  burned  down:  "come,  let  us  build 
up  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  that  we  be  no  more  a  reproach.-' 

As  to  the  need  and  value  of  city  walls  and  gates,  the 
reader  will  be  too  intelligent  to  estimate  it  by  compari- 
son with  our  own  times  and  country.  That  weak 
Jewish  colony  was  surrounded  with  enemies,  armed, 
warlike,  addicted  to  robbery,  plunder,  murder.  The 
fact  that  these  walls  were  broken  down  and  these  gates 
burned  was  itself  a  testimony  that  the  people  were  un- 
safe save  in  a  fortified  city.  The  very  existence  of  the 
community  was  imperiled.  All  the  precious  interests 
garnered  in  that  little  colony  of  restored  Jews  de- 
manded the   protection  of  rebuilt  walls  and  restored 

gates  and  bars. Backing  up  his  exhortation  to  the 

city  fathers  to  arise  and  build,  Nehemiah  told  them  of 
the  good  hand  of  his  God  upon  him  and  of  the  king's 
encouraging  words.     They  responded,  "  Let  us  arise  and 


REBUILDING   TBE   CITY  WALLS.  387 

build."     "And  they  strengthened  their  hands  for  this 

good  work." At  this  point  their  adversaries  appear 

again.  Having  heard  of  the  scheme  for  rebuilding, 
"  they  laughed  us  to  scorn,  and  despised  us  and  said 
"What  is  this  thing  that  ye  do?"  As  if  to  carry  the 
whole  question  by  assuming  this  rebuilding  to  be  trea- 
sonable, they  added,  "Will  ye  rebel  against  the  king?" 
They  probably  knew  better  than  they  wished  to  know 
that  the  king  sent  Nehemiah  for  the  very  purpose  of 
rebuilding  these  walls.  But  artful  and  false  assump- 
tions are  the  science  of  wicked  men.  Conscious  of 
being  powerless  at  the  royal  court,  their  chief  reliance 
is  upon  scorn  and  lies  and  violence  by  arms  if  they 
get  the  opportunity. 

Chap.  6  details  minutely  the  distinct  work  done  by 
each  considerable  group  of  citizens :  by  the  priests ;  the 
nobles  and  head  men— a  grand  personal  record,  of 
special  value  in  those  days  when  names  signified 
known  men,  though  in  this  respect  valueless  to  us  to 
whom  the  parties  are  chiefly  unknown.  We  may 
profitably  notice  that  mostly  the  people  of  the  city 
built  each  over  against  their  own  house — an  arrange- 
ment at  once  convenient  as  being  economical  of  their 
time,  and  inspiring  as  giving  them  a  sense  of  working 
every  man  for  his  own  as  well  as  for  the  public  interest. 
The  careful  reader  would  notice  the  not  quite  hon- 
orable record  of  certain  Tekoites  (v.  5) ;  that  though  the 
people  wrought,  yet  "  their  nobles  put  not  their  necks 
to  the  work  of  their  Lord."  Did  Nehemiah  purposely 
make  the  word  "  their  "  emphatic  when  he  said,  not  the 
Lord  but  ^^ their ^^  Lord?  as  if  to  suggest  that  they  little 
deserved  to  be  accounted  noble  men  when  they  so  dis- 
honored   their   Lord.     Such    aristocracy,  so    exhibited, 

Nehemiah  held  in  no  great  esteem. Another  party 

of  laborers  deserve  from  us  a  more  honorable  notice — 
(they  of  V.  12)  "  Shallum,  the  ruler  of  the  half  part  of 
Jerusalem  ;  he  and  his  daurjhters."  He  was  not  too  high 
in  dignity  to  put  his  hand  and  neck  even  to  the  Lord's 
work.  But  what  of  "his  daughters"?  Of  almost  royal 
blood,  and  of  true  royal  soul,  they  gave  the  work  at 
least  their  hearty  sympathy.  Did  they  help  to  clear 
away  the  rubbish,  or  to  cut  the  stone  or  to  carry  mor- 
tar? Enough,  we  must  assume,  to  show  that  heart  as 
well  as  hand  was  in  the  Avork. After  reading  such  a 


388  REBUILDING  THE  WALLS  :    THE  OPPOSITION. 

chapter  it  should  not  suprise  us  that  in  a  wonclerfally 
short  time  the  city  walls  were  up,  the  gates  hung, 
and  the  holy  city  once  more  in  her  strength  and 
glory. 

In  chap.  4  Nehemiah  resumes  the  story  of  this  re- 
building and  gives  some  facts  that  occurred  during  the 
progress  of  the  work,  setting  forth  especially  the  oppo- 
sition which  sought,  chiefly  by  scorn  and  plots  for  vio- 
lence,  to  frustrate  the  enterprise. Sanballat,  their 

leader,  hearing  that  the  city  walls  were  going  up,  was 
hotly  indignant.  He  "mocked  the  Jews."  "He  spake 
before  his  brethren  and  the  army  of  Samaria,"  obvi- 
ously to  excite  them  to  join  him  in  assault  by  force  of 
arms.  Tobiah  the  Ammonite  was  bitterly  scornful. 
He  thought  a  fox's  tread  would  break  down  their  stone 

wall ! Under  these  insults  and  dangers,  which  way 

does  Nehemiah  turn?  First  of  all,  to  the  Christian's 
first  and  only  refuge — to  God  in  prayer.  "Hear,  O  God, 
for  we  are  despised;  and  turn  their  reproach  upon  their 
own  head."  Having  prayed,  they  kept  on  building  the 
wall.  Soon  all  the  wall  was  joined  together  (all  the 
breaches  closed)  "unto  the  half  thereof" — i.  c,  raised 
to  half  the  contemplated  height  (v.  6),  "  for  the  people 
had  a  mind  to  work."  They  put  their  souls  into  it. 
There  is  a  will-power  which  pushes  the  hardest  work 
along  and  bears  the  heaviest  enterprises  rapidly 
through. 

Next,  their  enemies  (specified  v.  7)  conspired  in  force 
to  make  an  armed  assault  upon  the  city  and  its  re- 
builders.  Nehemiah  plans  the  defense ;  first,  to  seek 
help  from  God;  next,  to  set  a  watch  day  and  night. 
Three  special  difficulties  are  noticed:  (a.)  "Judah" — 
the  Jews  of  the  country  outside  the  city — are  quite  dis- 
couraged. "The  strength  of  the  workmen  is  failing; 
there  is  much  rubbish  in  the  way;  we  are  not  able  to 

build  the  wall."* (b.)  The  adversaries  are  planning 

a  surprise. (c.)  The  Jews  dwelling  by  them  (e.  g.,  in 

the  vicinity  of  Samaria)  come  to  us  many  times,  solic- 

*  The  feeble  heart  of  the  outlying  Jewish  population  explains  the 
purpose  of  the  scorn  manifested  by  Sanballat  and  Tobiah.  They 
were  purposely  acting  on  these  feeble  souls  to  dissuade  them  from 
the  great  enterprise.  They  did  not  expect  their  scorn  and  insults 
would  disturb  Nehemiah  directly;  they  did  hope  to  draw  off  feeble- 
hearted  Jews. 


A  CITAPTEU  ON  THE  POOR  AND  TITE  RICH.  389 

iting  our  laborers  from  the  country  to  leave  the  work 
and  go  home.* 

Then  Nehemiah  arranged  his  men  by  their  familieSj 
all  armed  (v.  13)  ;  he  sought  to  inspire  their  faith  in 
God  (v.  14) ;  he  divided  his  laborers  into  two  grand 
divisions,  half  to  bear  arms  and  half  to  build  wall ;  of 
the  builders  each  held  a  weapon  of  war  in  one  hand  and 
wrought  with  the  other — every  workman  with  sword 
girded  on  his  thigh;  the  trumpeter  standing  by  Nehe- 
miah as  commander-in-chief,  and  all  the  nobles  being 
under  orders  to  hasten  to  whatever  point  the  trumpet- 
blast  should  call.  Yet  further,  he  took  the  precaution 
to  have  every  man  wath  his  servant  lodge  by  night 
within  the  cit}^,  to  be  ready  to  repel  a  night  assault  if 

made. Thus   this   godly   warrior  and   his   servants 

Avrought  and  stood  guard,  no  man  laying  off  his  clothes 
by  night,  and  no  man  going  after  water  save  wath  war- 
weapons  in  his  hand.f  Such  precautions  and  such 
unceasing  vigilance  seem  to  have  forestalled  the  threat- 
ened assault.  Thus  with  labor,  watchfulness,  and  prayer, 
the  great  work  was  ere  long  completed. 

A  Chapter  on  the  Poor  and  the  Rich. 

Neh.  5  has  a  theme  peculiarly  its  own,  unlike  that  of 
any  other  chapter  in  the  Bible — The  mutual  relations  of 
rich  and  j)oor^  in  a  season  of  general  scarcity.  "  The  poor 
ye  have  alwaj's  with  you "  (said  the  Great  Teacher). 
The  inequalities,  property-wise,  which  will  exist  every- 
where, constitute  a  part  of  the  moral  trial  of  all  men. 

This  Jewish  colony  was  fortunate,  not  to  say  blest,  in 
that  it  was  rather  a  brotherhood  than  a  mere  aggrega- 
tion of  families;  for  they  lived  and  were  there  for  a 
common  object;  enduring  common  privations;  opposed 
by  common  enemies — in  this  respect  illustrating  not 
badly  all  Christian  churches  in  their  fraternal  and  life- 
work  relations. Here  in  Judea  were  dearth,  suffer- 
ing for  bread,  and  complaints  of  the  poor  against  their 

"^•This  is  plainly  the  meaning  of  v.  12,  translated  badly  in  our 
English  version.  The  margin  has  it  better:  From  ^vhatcver  place  ye 
cx)nic,  return  to  us:  go  home  and  abandon  this  hard  ajid  hopeless  en- 
terprise. The  Septuagint  has  it  well:  "Return  from  all  places  unto 
us." 

t  This  I  take  to  be  the  sense  of  the  last  clause  of  v.  23,  the  marginal 
reading  being  with  the  Hebrew. 


390  A   CHAPTER  ON  THE  POOR  AND  THE  RICH. 

richer  brethren.  The  poor  came  to  Nehemiah ;  "  there 
was  a  great  cr}^  of  the  people  and  of  their  wives  against 
their  Jewish  brethren."  Some  with  large  families  could 
not  fill  so  many  mouths ;  some  had  mortgaged  every- 
thing for  bread;  some  had  borrowed  to  pay  state  taxes; 
some  had  been  obliged  to  sell  sons  and  daughters  into 
slavery,  and  had  no  means  to  redeem  them  because 
their  lands  too  were  gone  for  debt.  And  they  could  not 
tell  this  sad  tale  without  suggesting  that  their  children 
were  of  their  own  flesh  and  blood — as  dear  to  them  as  sons 
and  daughters  were  to  their  richer  brethren  who  had 

been  buying  and  selling  their  neighbor's  children. 

Nehemiah,  good  man  that  he  was,  heard  this  with  sorrow 
and  indignation.  He  "  was  very  angry  when  he  heard 
their  cry  in  these  words."  He  thought  the  case  over 
(perhaps  he  supposed  it  were  his  own) ;  he  rebuked 
those  rich  men  for  their  oppressive  usury;  he  brought 
face  to  face  before  them  the  many  who  were  suffering 
so  cruelly  under  their  oppressions.  He  thought  proper 
to  speak  of  his  own  case :  We  have  done  all  we  could 
to  redeem  our  Jewish  brethren  from  personal  slavery  to 
foreign  slave-holders;  but  ye  are  enslaving  your  own 
brethren.  They  could  say  nothing  in  reply.  He  said 
— Ye  bring  on  us  the  reproach  of  our  enemies;  this  is 
a  disgrace  to  our  religion  and  to  the  God  we  worship. 
I  pray  you,  restore  to  your  brethren  those  lands,  those 
enslaved  children,  and  that  exorbitant  interest — "  the 
hundredth  part " — one  per  cent,  (payable  monthly,  we 
must  presume — equal  to  twelve  per  cent,  per  annum), 
which  ye  have  charged,  not  for  monc}^  loaned  merely, 
but  for  corn — the  necessaries  of  life. 

We  may  rejoice  to  see  that  they  responded  promptly — 
"  We  will  restore ;  and  will  require  nothing  of  them ;  so 
will  we  do  as  thou  sayest."  But  lest  second  thought 
should  bring  on  the  grip  of  covetousness  again,  Nehe- 
miah called  in  the  priests  to  administer  the  sacred  oath 
that  they  should  fulfill  this  promise.  Also  to  add  the 
force  of  his  own  noble  heart,  he  shook  his  lap  and  said ; 
"  So  God  shake  out  every  man  from  his  house  and  from 
his  labor"  (all  the  fruits  of  it)  "  who  performs  not  this 
promise."  There  was  some  public  feeling  there,  for 
all  the  congregation  cried  "  Amen ;  and  praised  the 
Lord." 

In  the  sequel,  Nehemiah  thought  proper  to  speak  of 


OPrOSITION    TO   THE    WALL    BUILDING.  391 

his  own  personal  management  and  finances  since  he 
had  been  among  them — twelve  years.  He  had  taken 
no  salary  as  governor,  because  the  taxes  on  the  people 
Avere  very  heavy.  He  and  all  his  servants  had  labored 
on  the  city  walls  without  pay.  He  had  boarded  an 
average  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  constantly  at  his  table, 
besides  transient  visitors.  Of  course  he  must  have 
drawn  heavily  on  previous  accumulations  in  his  Per- 
sian home.  Noble  man  !  He  expected  no  reward  from 
his  Jewish  brethren  or  from  any  fellow-men.  He  only 
looked  upward :  "  Think  upon  me,  0  my  God,  for  good, 
according  to  all  that  I  have  done  for  this  people."     No 

doubt  this  prayer  was  answered. Let  us  hope  that 

this  chapter  will  not  be  valueless  to  mankind.  Whom 
does  it  rebuke ;  and  whom  does  it  bless  ? 

In  chap.  6  Nehemiah  resumes  the  stor}^  (unfinished 
in  chap.  4)  of  the  opposition  to  their  work  on  the  city 
walls.  First,  when  Sanballat  and  his  friends  heard  that 
the  work  was  too  far  advanced  for  their  success  by  an 
armed  assault,  and  the  city  too  vigilantly  guarded  to 
admit  of  a  night  surprise,  they  sent  Nehemiah  an  invita- 
tion (or  challenge)  to  meet  them  in  the  plain  of  Ono* — 
they  did  not  say  for  what  purpose.  Nehemiah  was  not 
caught  in  this  trap.  He  remarks  here  :  "  They  thought 
to  do  me  mischief."  Probably  they  were  plotting  his 
assassination.  Yet  he  replied  with  no  lack  of  civility: 
"  I  am  doing  a  great  work,  so  that  I  can  not  come  down ; 
why  should  the  work  cease  while  I  leave  it  and  come 
down  to  you?"  This  was  reason  enough;  was  manly, 
reasonable,  and  withal,  safe.  The  principle  on  which 
it  rests,  applied  in  a  thousand  relationships  with  the 
world,  would  save  Christian  laborers  from  many  a  sore 
temptation  and  many  a  grievous  fall.  Let  us  attend 
diligently  to  our  own  great  work,  and  not  listen  to  in- 
vitations to  "the  plain  of  Ono." Yet  they  sent  four 

times— only  to  get  the  same  answer  every  time. The 

fifth  messenpjer  brought  an  open  letter  from  Sanballat 
(copied  out  in  this  narrative)  charging  Nehemiah  with 
designs  wholly  treasonable  and  ambitious — to  rebel 
against  the  king  of  Persia  and  to  make  himself  king 
in  Judah.     AVithal  he  threatened  to  report  this  charge 

*Ono  appears  (I  Chron.  8:  12)  in  the  list,  of  towns  on  the  north- 
ern border  of  Benjamin,  some  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  distant  from 
Jerusalem. 


o92  OPPOSITION   TO   THE   WALL-Bail-DING. 

to  the  king.  On  the  basis  of  this  charge,  trumped  up 
for  his  own  purposes,  he  again  requests  an  interview 
''  to  take  counsel  together  !  "  The  stupid  fellow  ! — did 
he  think  to  pass  himself  off  upon  Nehemiah  as  his  per- 
sonal friend,  anxious  to  aid  him  with  some  kind  ad- 
vice ? Nehemiah's   reply   is    put    squarely  —  Not   a 

word  of  truth  in  what  you  say ;  no  such  things  are 
done  as  thou  sayest ;  these  charges  are  born  of  thine  own 

brain. Their  purpose,  Nehemiah  said,  w^as  to  alarm 

the  builders,  weaken  their  hands ;  stop  their  work. 
Therefore,  as  one  whose  habit  is  to  look  to  God  in  every 
emergency,  he  cries  :  ^'  Now,  therefore,  0  God,  strengthen 
my  hands.  What  time  my  enemies  and  thine  would 
weaken,  do  thou  give  strength  !  " 

Other  trials  were  sprung  upon  him  as  he  came  into 
the  house  of  one  Shemaiah.  This  man  had  been  so 
frightened  by  the  threats  of  Sanballat  that  he  shut 
himself  within  his  house  as  in  a  castle.  He  presses 
Nehemiah  to  do  the  same.  "  Let  us  gather  into  the 
temple,"  said  he,  and  make  that  our  castle,  "for  they 
will  come  by  night  and  slay  thee."  His  answer  gives 
us  those  memorable  heroic  words :  "  Should  such  a  man 
as  I  flee?  And  who  is  there,  that  being  as  I  am 
would  go  into  the  temple  to  save  his  life  ?  I  will  not 
go  in."  Not  so  much  because  he  would  not  believe 
there  was  danger;  but  rather  because,  if  there  was 
danger,  it  behooved  him  to  face  it  as  a  man  and  a  hero! 
To  have  fled  himself  would  have  been  the  signal  for  all 
timid  souls  to  flee  likewise;  and  what  could  come  of 

such  fleeing  but  ruin  to  their  enterprise  ? He  adds — 

"  I  perceived  that  God  had  not  sent  him  to  me  with  these 
w^ords;  but  Sanballat  and  Tobiah  had  hired  him." 
Indeed !  they  were  arch  fellows,  and  omitted  no  device 

to  ensnare  him  to  his  ruin. One  more  prayer :  "  O 

my  God;  think  thou  upon  Tobiah  and  Sanballat 
according  to  these  their  works;  and  on  the  prophetess 
Noadiah  and  the  rest  of  the  prophets  who  would  have 
put  me  in  fear."  The  satanic  arts  of  the  false  prophets 
had  not  yet  ceased  in  Israel. 

The  long  list  of  special  trials  closes  at  last  with  the 
fact  of  secret  correspondence  carried  on  between  some  of 
the  nobles  of  Judah  and  those  arch  enemies,  favored  by 
the  intermarriage  of  their  respective  families. To- 
biah the  Ammonite  led  in  this  correspondence. 


A   GREAT   MEETING    FOR   SCRIPTURE    READING.       393 

The  work  on  the  city  walls  was  at  length  finished 
joyfully,  having  occupied  lifty-two  days — pushed  with 
untiring  diligence,  and  the  energy  of  a  noble  enthusi- 
asm. \Ve  shall  meet  a  somewhat  extended  account  of 
the  joyous  dedication  of  these  walls  below  (chap.  12: 
27-43). 

Nehemiah  states  (chap.  7)  that  he  put  his  brother 
Hanani  and  Hananiah,  ruler  of  the  palace,  in  charge 
jointly  of  Jerusalem,  adding  his  testimony  as  to  Hanani 
that  he  was  a  "faithful  man  and  feared  God  above 
many" — the  right  man  for  grave  responsibilities.  Their 
instructions  in  regard  to  opening  and  closing  the  gates 
show  that  the  danger  of  violence  from  enemies  had  not 
entirely  ceased.     Safety  still  demanded  vigilance. 

This  genealogical  table  of  the  first  company  of  return- 
ing Jews  (substantially  the  same  as  in  Ezra  2)  may  be 
brought  out  here  in  connection  with  measures  for  fill- 
ing up  the  city — its  population  being  entirely  too  sparse 
for  the  best  interest  of  the  entire  colony.  We  shall  see 
more  on  this  subject  in  chap.  11  and  12. 

In  Neh.  8  we  see  an  immense  assembly  convened  on 
the  first  day  of  the  seventh  month  ;  their  public  services 
commencing  with  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures  by  Ezra 
the  scribe.  As  he  read  he  gave  such  exposition  as  the 
change  of  dialect  from  Hebrew  to  Chaldee — then  the 
spoken  language  of  the  people — required.  It  is  said — 
"  He  read  in  the  book  of  the  law  distinctly  and  gave  the 
sense,  and  caused  them  to  understand  the  reading " 
(v.  8).  It  was  a  memorable  day.  This  reading  con- 
tinued (so  said)  "from  morning  till  mid-day,  and  the 
ears  of  all  the  people  were  attentive  unto  the  book  of 

the  law." The  accompanying  devotional   exercises 

are  described  thus:  "And  Ezra  blessed  the  Lord,  the 
Great  God.  And  all  the  people  answered,  Amen,  amen, 
with  lifting  up  their  hands;  and  they  bowed  their 
heads  and  worshiped  the  Lord  with  their  faces  to  the 
ground  " — a  scene  of  no  little  animation ;  less  dull  and 
more  deeply  animated  (let  us  hope)  than  some  worship- 
ing assemblies  of  our  modern  times.  Is  there  not  some- 
thing here  to  be  learned  as  to  modes  of  public  worship? 

Not  Ezra  only  but  many  others  (v.  7)  officiated  in  the 
reading  and  exposition  of  the  Scriptures.  The  assembly 
was  too  large  to  be  reached  audibly  by  one  human  voice. 
Probably  half  the  people  of  the  colony  were  here  ;  say 


894    THE  GREAT  FEAST  OF  THE  TABERNACLES. 

over  20,000.     We  may  suppose  them  grouped  about 

several  speakers.     Was  not   the   scene  inspiring? 

Yet  apparently,  there  was  no  such  exhilaration  as  pre- 
cludes serious  thought  and  personal  conviction  of  sin  : 
"  all  the  i:>eople  wept  when  they  heard  the  words  of  the 
law."  It  is  rare  that  a  religious  assembly  becomes  too 
tearful  and  tender  or  even  too  sad  of  heart  so  as  to  re- 
quire the  treatment  indicated  here.  Manifestly  the 
leaders,  Ezra,  Nehemiah  and  the  teaching  Levites, 
sought  to  promote  a  more  cheerful  tone  of  feeling :  "  This 
day  is  holy  unto  the  Lord  j-our  God;  mourn  not  nor 
weep.  Go  your  way;  eat  the  fat  and  drink  the  sweet; 
and  send  portions  to  the  destitute,  for  this  day  is  hoi}'- 
to  the  Lord ;  be  ye  not  sad,  for  the  joy  of  the  Lord  is 
your  strength."  The  word  here  for  "  strength  "  signifies 
fortress,  implying  that  rejoicing  in  God  is  a  strong  power 
to  the  soul,  like  the  walled  city  they  knew  so  well  how 

to  appreciate. We  need  not  press  this  case  so  as  to 

make  it  condemn  men  for  sorrow  and  penitence  in 
view  of  their  sins,  but  should  rather  construe  it  to  im- 
ply that  when  profoundly  solemn,  penitent,  impressed 
with  the  words  of  God's  law  and  withal  sincerely  docile 
in  spirit,  joy  in  God  is  appropriate  and  wholesome  and 
should  be  cultivated.  Our  sadness  and  tears  should  not 
ignore  God's  great  love.  Since  he  is  a  tender  Father,  if 
Ave  are  consciously  his  dutiful  children  let  us  be  joyful 
in  his  favor. 

Convened  again  on  the  second  day  to  continue  their 
public  reading  of  the  law,  they  came  upon  the  statute 
respecting  the  feast  of  tabernacles  on  the  fourteenth 
of  this  very  month.  Probably  this  observance  had  been 
omitted  for  a  season.  The  people  were  quite  in  mood  at 
this  time  for  such  a  festival,  and  therefore  made  prepa- 
ration for  it  with  enthusiasm.  They  gathered  their 
boughs ;  constructed  their  booths  ("  tabernacles  "),  and 
ere  the  day  arrived  had  all  things  ready.  According 
to  Moses,  the  book  of  the  law  was  to  be  read  publicly 
every  day  of  this  festival.  Nothing  could  be  more  con- 
genial with  the  public  feeling;  so  from  the  first  day  to 
the  last,  the  law  was  read. 

Nch.  9,  continues  the  record  of  this  great  convocation. 
If  the  scenes  of  the  first  day  of  this  seventh  month  were 
memorable  and  the  celebration  of  this  seventh  month 
festival,  scarcely  less  so,  the  closing  service,  the  twenty- 


NATIONAL   CONCERT   OF    PRAYER.  395 

fourth  day  and  onward,  reached  the  climax  of  religious 
solemnity  and  power.  Their  leaders  manifestly  had 
their  hearts  on  turning  this  great  national  movement 
of  religious  thought,  knowledge  and  feeling,  to  the  best 
practical  account.  Let  us  note  what  they  did  and  with 
what  results. 

On  the  twenty-fourth  the  eight  days  of  the  feast  of 
tabernacles  would  be  past.  But  there  was  no  disper- 
sion to  their  homes  yet.  "  The  children  of  Israel  were 
assembled  with  fasting  and  with  sackcloth  and  with 
earth  upon  them."  First,  they  separated  themselves 
from  all  strangers,  severing  all  unhallowed  alliances  by 
intermarriage  and  otherwise.  They  stood  up  and  read 
in  the  book  of  the  law  (and  heard  the  reading)  one 
fourth  part  of  the  day;  another  fourth  part,  they  con- 
fessed their  sins  and  worshiped.  That  we  and  all 
Bible  readers  in  the  ages  onward  from  that  hour  might 
have  a  more  just  and  full  view  of  the  spirit  of  this 
scene  and  of  the  moral  value  of  that  prayer,  it  was  put 
on  record  and  still  stands  in  this  ninth  chapter.  Sev- 
eral Levites  seem  to  have  led  the  devotions  of  the  vast 
multitude  simultaneously  (possibly  at  different  points) 
in  this  great  concert  of  prayer.  [The  tone  of  the  nar- 
rative favors  the  supposition  of  an  actual  concert — a 
unison  of  voices.]     What  they  said  is  the  more  vital 

point,  and  is  before  us  here. "Stand  up  and  bless 

the  Lord  your  God  forever  and  ever,  and  blessed  be  thy 
glorious  name  which  is  exalted  above  all  blessing  and 
praise."  The  prayer  follows,  reciting  in  most  interest- 
ing detail  the  great  historic  Aicts  of  God's  dealings  with 
their  fathers;  acknowledging  their  nation's  sin  and 
their  own  personally ;  referring  quite  fully  to  their  own 
weak,  dependent  colony,  as  needing  specially  such  help 

as  none   but  their  Almighty  Protector  could  give. 

This  full  recital  of  their  nation's  history — the  ways  of 
the  people,  sinning  or  obedient,  toward  God;  and  God's 
ways  in  judgment  or  in  mercy  toward  them — was  ad- 
mirably adapted  to  the  desired  religious  impression. 
When  all  these  grand  truths,  so  practical  to  tliemselves, 
so  pungent  therefore  and  effective,  wore  brought  fully 
before  tbem,  they  were  prepared  for  the  solemn  recon- 
secration  which  ensued.  "Because  of  all  tliis"  (they 
say)  "  we  make  a  sure  covenant  and  seal  it."  They 
seem  to  have  i^t  hand  and  seal  to  it,  not  in  a  figure  of 


39G  NATIONAL  RECONSECRATION  TO  GOD. 

speech  only,  but  in  fact;  for  here  is  a  list,  filling 
twenty-seven  verses  of  individual  names  that  were 
appended,  and  this  list  is  followed  with  the  statement 
that  the  rest  of  the  people — the  priests,  Levites,  por- 
ters, singers,  Nethinims,  and  all  they  who  had  sepa- 
rated from  the  people  of  the  lands  unto  the  law  of  God, 
with  their  wives,  sons,  daughters — all  who  had  reached 
years  of  moral  understanding,  clave  unto  their  brethren, 
uniting  most  heartily  with  their  leading  men  to  bind 
themselves  by  solemn  oath  and  covenant. 

Let  us  take  special  note  of  the  points  of  this  solemn 
covenant;  viz..  To  walk  in  the  law  of  Moses;  not  to 
intermarry  with  strangers — the  godless,  idol-worshiping 
heathen ;  not  to  trade  on  the  Sabbath  or  otherwise 
desecrate  the  holy  day ;  to  assess  themselves  one-third 
of  a  shekel  each  for  the  expenses  of  the  sanctuary ;  to 
cast  lots  for  supplying  wood  for  the  sacrifices;  to  bring 
in  according  to  law  their  first-fruits  and  first-born,  the 
required  tithes  also,  and  last  Tnot  least)  ''  we  will  not 
forsake  the  house  of  our  God." This,  it  will  be  no- 
ticed, includes  the  great  points  of  their  religious  insti- 
tutions as  given  by  the  Lord  through  Moses.  It  was  a 
Jewish  religious  covenant,  looking  specially  toward  the 
ritual  worship  under  which  God  was  training  them  to  a 
holy  life. 

This  great  "  protracted  meeting,"  almost  a  full  month 
— the  mind  and  heart  of  many  thousands  held  intently 
upon  the  book  of  the  law — may  suggest  to  some  readers 
that  this  is  the  very  atmosphere  of  Ps.  119:  "Open 
thou  mine  eyes  that  t  may  behold  Avondrous  things  out 
of  thy  law  "  (v.  18).  "  O  how  love  I  thy  law ;  it  is  my 
meditation  all  the  day"  (v.  97).  The  date  and  author 
of  this  Psalm  are  not  given  in  the  Psalter.  We  are  left 
to  fix  its  date  and  find  its  author  by  studying  its 
adaptations  to  known  history.  Pursuing  this  inquiry 
we  need  go  no  further  than  Ezra.  The  entire  tone  of 
this  Psalm  and  all  its  allusions  to  surrounding  circum- 
stances conspire  to  sustain  his  date  and  authorship.  It 
is  refreshing  and  profitable  to  study  this  Psalm  in  con- 
nection with  his  spirit  and  times,  especially  as  seen  in 
the  history  of  this  great  Bible  reading  occasion. 

The  last  book  of  the  Psalter  (Ps.  107-150)  should  be 
studied  in  connection  with  the  times  of  the  restoration, 
beyond  doubt  the  date  of  its  compilation.    Some  of  these 


THE    PSALMS   OF  THIS   PERIOD.  397 

Psalms  have  at  their  head  the  name  of  David.  Why 
these  (if  really  his)  were  not  included  in  the  first  or 
second  hooks  of  the  Psalter  it  will  probably  be  impossi- 
ble to  determine  with  certaint3^  They  are  here  because 
found  to  be,  or  modified  to  become,  appropriate  to  these 
times.  The  others  are  chiefly  without  name  of  author, 
perhaps  because  their  authors  were  also  compilers  and 
chose  to  suppress  their  own  names.  There  may  have 
been  inspired  Psalm-writers  in  that  age  whose  names 
as  such  are  not  on  record  at  all.  Some  may  have  been 
written  or  compiled  by  liaggai  or  Zechariah.  The  spirit 
of  Zech.  4 : — "  Not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my 
Spirit " — is  in  striking  harmony  with  Ps.  127 ; — "  Except 
the  Lord  build  the  house,  they  labor  in  vain  that  build 
it."  If  this  were  originally  written  by  Solomon  of  the 
first  temple,  it  was  yet  more  applicable  to  the  second, 
and  so  would  meet  the   sentiments  of  Zechariah  and 

come  into  the  Psalter  under  his  hand  as  compiler. 

Those  wonderful  Hallelujah-Psalms  (146-150)  may 
have  been  an  outgrowth  of  the  joyful,  inspiring  scenes 
of  the  great  meeting  here  before  us.  May  we  suppose 
them  to  have  been  written  during  its  progress  and  for 
its  occasion  ? 

Nehemiah  proceeds  (chaps.  11  and  12)  to  speak  of 
measures  for  bringing  more  of  the  people  to  reside 
within  the  city,  protection  against  their  enemies  being 
the  special  reason.  The  people,  subsisting  so  largely  by 
agriculture,  were  attracted  to  the  country.  Hence  a 
draft  was  made  upon  the  country  population  of  every 
tenth  family  by  lot,  to  remove  into  the  city;  and  a 
special  blessing  was  implored  upon  all  who  volunteered 
to  change  their  residence  from  the  fields  to  the  city. 

The  dedication  of  the  city-walls  (12 :  27-43)  testified 
to  the  general  joy  and  thanksgivings  of  the  occasion, 
the  record  closing  with  these  emphatic  words  (v.  43) : 
"  Also  that  day  they  offered  great  sacrifices  and  rejoiced ; 
for  God  had  made  them  rejoice  with  great  joy;  the  wives 
also  and  the  children  rejoiced  (who  could  realize  the 
blessings  of  strong  city-walls  better  than  they  ?)  so  that 
the  joy  of  Jerusalem  was  heard  even  afar  off."  (How 
did  it  sound  in  the  ears  of  Sanballat  and  Tobiah  ?) 

Neh.  13.  The  reading  of  the  law  brought  to  the 
notice  of  the  people  the  ])assage  (Deut.  23 :  3,  4)  which 
forbade  the  Moabite  and  the  Ammonite  to  enter  into 


398 

the  congregation  of  the  Lord.  Consequently  they  pro- 
ceeded to  separate  from  Israel  "all  the  mixed  multi- 
tude,'- i.  e.,  those  who  were  intermixed  in  blood  with 

Moab  or  Ammon. Previously  to  this,  Eliashib  the 

priest  (supposed  to  have  been  ^High  Priest,  v.  28)  had 
been  allied  by  marriage  wuth  Tobiah  (doubtless  the 
same  Tobiah  the  Ammonite  wdio  has  appeared  often  in 
this  history,  for  he  and  his  son  had  married  Jewish 
women,  Neh.  6:  18).  This  Eliashib,  being  in  official 
charge  of  the  temple,  had  assigned  to  Tobiah  spacious 
chambers  which  had  previously  been  used  as  store- 
chambers  for  the  temple  offerings.  It  was  an  outrage. 
Nehemiah  felt  it  to  be  so,  and  at  once  cast  forth  all 
Tobiah's  stuff  from  the  chamber  and  ordered  it  cleansed 
and  put  to  its  proper  use.  He  remarks  that  when  this 
outrage  was  perpetrated,  he  was  not  in  Jerusalem,  hav- 
ing returned  to  his  king  in  his  thirty-second  year,  and 
been  absent  therefore  from  the  holy  city  for  a  season. 
The  events  of  this  last  chapter  belong  to  the  period 
after  his  return  to  Jerusalem.  How  long  he  was  absent 
at  the  court  of  his  king  is  not  stated  very  definitely. 
The  Hebrew  phrase  translated  "at  the  end  of  days" 
commonly  signifies  one  year.  But  the  events  that  fell 
within  this  period  strongly  favor  (not  to  say  demand)  a 
period  longer  than  this. 

He  found  another  evil.  The  portions  of  the  Levitcs 
had  been  withheld,  and  they  consequentl}'  were  driven 
from  the  temple  service  by  the  failure  of  supplies.  He 
contended  sharply  with  the  rulers  for  this  neglect,  and 

effected  a  reform. The  next  abuse  was  the  violation 

of  the  Sabbath,  occasioned  by  the  tradesmen  of  Tyre 
(vs.  15-27).  His  expostulation  with  the  rulers  on  this 
point  appeals  to  judgments  sent  on  the  city  for  similar 
violations  of  the  Sabbath  in  the  days  of  their  fathers 

(v.  18). Lastly,  he  encountered  yet  another  abuse  in 

the  line  of  the  besetting  national  sin — intermarriages 
with  idol-worshiping  "strangers."  Jews  had  married 
wives  of  Ashdod,  Moab,  and  Ammon.  Their  children 
spake  a  mixed  dialect,  compounded  of  the  Jewish  and 
Ashdod  tongues — a  fact  which  shows  that  these  tongues 
though  related  were  yet  dialectically  different.  Nehe- 
miah's  statement  shows  that  he  treated  these  offenders 
sternly,  not  to  say  roughly,  manifestly  regarding  the 
offense  as  flagrant  and  determined  to  make  his  mind 


REVIEW  OF  EZRA   AND  NEHEMIAH.  399 

understood  beyond  mistake  and  his  power  so  felt  that 
there  should  be  no  escape.  Worst  of  all,  this  outrage- 
ous iniquity  had  reached  even  the  high  places  of  the 
priesthood,  invading  the  sanctity  of  the  temple  and  its 
holiest  offices.  One  of  the  sons  of  Joiada,  the  son  of 
Eliashib  the  High  Priest,  had  married  a  daughter  of 
Sanballat  the  Horonite — that  old,  arch,  scornful  enemy 
of  Zion.  "Therefore,"  says  Nehemiah,  "I  chased  him 
from  me."  No  wonder  he  did.  It  is  astounding  that 
the  same  Sanballat  and  the  same  Tobiah  who  appear 
in  the  earlier  stages  of  this  history  as  the  most  subtle, 
pronounced  and  bitter  enemies  of  Jerusalem  should  be 
here  related  by  intermarriage  with  even  the  High 
Priest's  family.  It  gives  a  strong  impression  of  the 
perils  incident  to  this  Jewish  community  and  of  the 
abuses  which  these  reformers  had  to  encounter  and  to 
eradicate. With  the  prayer  that  God  would  "  remem- 
ber those  defilersof  the  priesthood"  for  mercy  and  him- 
self "for  good,"  this  striking  personal  autobiography  of 
the  good  Nehemiah  comes  to  its  close. 

This  second  period  of  Nehemiah's  residence  in  Judea 
(narrated  in  Neh.  13)  is  supposed  to  coincide  chrono- 
logically with  the  age  of  the  latest  known  prophet, 
Malachi.  The  abuses  and  evils  to  which  the  book  of 
Malachi  refers  are  essentially  the  same  which  appear  in 
Neh.  13.  The  same  deplorably  low  moral  tone  in  the 
priesthood  which  Malachi  assumes  to  exist  (Mai.  2), 
Nehemiah's  story  fully  accounts  for.  Such  dereliction 
in  the  High  Priest  would  naturally  deprave  the  whole 
fraternity. 

Reviewing  briefly  the  religious  history  of  this  restored 
people  as  in  the  books  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  we  shall 
notice  two  very  prominent  facts : 

1.  The  high  and  noble  character  of  these  two  men, 
Ezra  and  Nehemiah. 

2.  Their  remarkable  efliciency  and  moral  pow^r  in 
their  work. 

1.  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  are  brought  before  the  reader 
somewhat  full}^.  Tlieir  personal  characters  stand  out 
in  the  strong  light  of  words  spoken,  deeds  done,  sympa- 
thies manifested.  It  is  rare  that  we  meet  with  nobler 
men,  of  purer  motive,  more  earnest  spirit  and  of  more 
unselfish  natures.  How  eminently  prayerful !  How 
pure  and^weet  is  the  simplicity  of  their  devotion  to  the 


400  REVIEW   OF   EZRA   AND   NEHEMIAH. 

cause  of  God !  It  is  refreshing  to  come  into  contact  with 
such  men,  to  feel  the  power  of  such  examples,  and  the 
inspiration  of  such  spirits.  They  may  have  had  blem- 
ishes of  character,  or  sins  of  life ;  but  if  so,  the  record 
passes  them  unnoticed.  Let  us  be  thankful  for  such 
recorded  lives. 

2.  Their  labors  seem  to  have  been  signally  effective. 
In  reading  the  account  given  of  the  reforms  wrought 
by  Jehoshaphat,  Hezekiah  and  Josiah,  we  see  indica- 
tions of  earnest  endeavor  and  of  true  devotion  to  their 
work,  but  no  decisive  proof  of  any  profound  impressions 
made — no  evidence  that  the  popular  mind  was  deeply 
moved.  But  here,  under  the  labors  of  Ezra  and  Nehe- 
miah,  the  record  on  these  points  is  thoroughly  emphatic. 
When  Ezra  first  grappled  with  the  terrible  evil  of  un- 
godly intermarriages — his  soul  borne  down  with  heavy 
grief  and  his  spirit  poured  forth  in  mighty  prayer, — 
"  there  assembled  unto  him  a  very  great  congregation  of 
men  and  women  and  children;  for  the  people  wept 
very  sore."  The  whole  community  seem  to  have  been 
thoroughly  aroused  and  deeply  moved.  "  Men  trembled 
at  the  commandment  of  God."  The  reform  from  its 
nature  must  needs  rend  asunder  the  tenderest  ties  of 
earthly  affection  ;  but  the  demands  of  religious  purity 
and  the  authority  of  God  were  felt  to  be  paramount  to 
every  thing  else; — and  the  work  was  done. 

So  under  Nehemiah.  With  what  enthusiasm,  and 
despite  of  what  perils,  and  labors,  and  watchings  did 
those  city-walls  go  up!  When  he  came  to  the  money 
question  and  took  the  rich  men  in  hand  for  their  oppres- 
sion of  the  poor — a  reform  which  is  wont  to  test  and  to 
task  the  sturdiest  arm — the  exactors  said,  "  We  will 
restore,  and  will  require  nothing  of  them."  One  broad, 
deep  tide  of  enthusiasm  swept  the  whole  community 

along. Next  the  record  of  those  many  days  (Neh.  8 

and  9) — that  whole  month  of  public  Bible  reading  and 
of  the  magnificent  celebration  of  the  feast  of  tabernacles, 
followed  by  a  universal  reconsecration  of  the  people  to 
God,  marks  a  most  wonderful  movement  of  the  popular 
mind  and  heart.  Where  in  all  history  do  we  find  a 
record  of  religious  services  more  protracted ;  more  assidu- 
ously and  heartily  sustained;  with  more  earnest  atten- 
tion to  the  revealed  will  of  God,  and  more  impressive 
devotional  services — closingr  with  such  a  consecration 


ORIGIN    OF   THE    SAMARITAN    COMMUNITY.  401 

as  seemed  to  lift  the  whole  people  to  a  vastly  higher 
plane  of  religious  life?  There  must  have  been  in  the 
people  a  remarkable  susceptibility  to  moral  and  relig- 
ious impressions,  and  in  their  religious  leaders  a  union 
of  wisdom,  zeal,  piety,  and  prayer,  to  a  degree  rarely 
equaled,  perhaps  never  surpassed.  No  doubt  the  good 
hand  of  God  was  there,  carrying  out  his  earnest  purpose 
to  redeem  and  to  save  this  restored  people  and  to  give 
stability  and  strength  to  his  earthly  kingdom. 

In  the  line  of  coincidences,  harmonious  and  confirm- 
atory, between  sacred  history  and  profane,  there  seems 
little  occasion  for  remark  in  regard  to  the  era  of  the 
restoration.  The  salient  points  of  Persian  history  from 
Cyrus  to  Artaxerxes  inclusive  have  been  long  known 
to  the  civilized  world,  chiefly  through  the  ancient 
Greek  historians.  There  can  therefore  be  scarcely  the 
least  occasion  to  say  that  Cyrus  appears  in  profane  his- 
tory at  the  right  time  and  place  and  of  the  right  char- 
acter to  be  the  restorer  of  the  captive  Jews.  The  same 
is  true  of  Darius  Hystaspes  under  whom  the  temple 
was  finished :  also  of  Artaxerxes  Longimanus  under 
whose  long  reign  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  wrought  their 
work  for  the  restored  people.  More  perfect  coincidences 
it  were  captious  and  unreasonable  to  ask. 

In  our  notice  of  the  captivity  of  the  ten  tribes  (p. 
316)  and  the  resettlement  of  their  country,  allusion  was 
made  to  the  religious  character  of  the  Samaritan  com- 
munity as  known  to  history  during  the  entire  Christian 
era  with  reference  to  the  question — Whence  came  their 
religion,  and  whence  their  celebrated  Samaritan  Penta- 
teuch and  their  ritual  w^orship  ?  Do  these  facts  of  their 
religious  sj^stem  date  from  Shalmanezer,  or  from 
Nehemiah,  or  from  some  other  historic  era  and 
events? 

The  best  and  best-sustained  opinion  dates  the  relig- 
ious elements  of  the  Samaritan  people,  not  from  the 
Assyrian  era  but  from  the  Persian — in  the  age  of  Nehe- 
miah ;  and  mainly  on  the  following  grounds : 

(a.)  The  religion  brought  in  at  the  Assyrian  date 
must  have  been  of  the  Jeroboam  type — in  nowise  bet- 
ter than  the  worship  of  the  calves  of  Bethel  and  Dan; 
would  have  been  by  no  means  likely  to  have  intro- 
duced the  Samaritan  Pentateuch :  still  less  likely  to 
have  provided  for  its  preservation  twenty-five  hundred 
18 


402  ADDENDA   ON   EZRA   AS   SCRIBE,   ETC. 

years — not  to  say  that  such  a  religious  system  had  too 
little  vitality  to  have  lived  till  this  day. 

(b.)  On  the  other  hand,  in  the  age  of  Nehemiah  the 
Samaritan  community  absorbed  into  itself  a  renegade 
high  priest  (Neh.  13 :  28)  who  married  a  daughter  of 
Sanballat  the  Horonite.  It  may  be  assumed  that  he 
had  the  Pentateuch  in  his  possession.  His  high  social 
position  would  both  give  him  the  power  and  inspire 
the  ambition  to  inaugurate  a  new  religion  and  engraft 
it  into  the  Samaritan  community. 

(c.)  The  intense  antipathy  between  Jew  and  Samar- 
itan in  which  this  Samaritan  religion  was  born  accounts 
philosophically  for  the  great  facts  of  all  their  subse- 
quent history — this  antipathy  sustained  as  a  national 
characteristic,  manifesting  itself  all  through  the  cen- 
turies to  the  Christian  era,  and  indeed  to  the  present 
day. 

Addenda  on  Ezra  as  Scribe^  Author  and  Compiler. 

The  reader  will  have  noticed  that  I  have  spoken  of 
Ezra  as  probably  the  compiler  of  the  books  of  Chron- 
icles; the  author  substantially  of  the  book  that  bears 
his  name  as  well  as  of  some  Psalms.  Also,  that  in  com- 
piling Chronicles,  regard  was  had  to  the  moral  wants 

of  the  age  of  the  restoration. Here  the  question  will 

arise — Was  not  Ezra's  active  life  too  late  to  admit  the 
supposition  of  his  agency  so  early  as  the  building  of  the 
second  temple  ? 

To  this  I  answer, 

(1.)  The  age  of  Ezra  when  he  went  to  Judea  (seventh 
year  of  Artaxerxes)  is  not  known.  Probably  he  was 
then  far  advanced  in  life.  He  certainly  had  a  national 
reputation  as  a  learned  and  ready  scribe  in  the  law  of 
God  before  he  went.  It  seems  morally  certain  that  he 
must  have  died  before  Nehemiah's  return  to  Persia ;  for 
the  social  evils  and  national  sins  that  developed  them- 
selves then  (Neh.  13)  quite  forbid  the  supposition  that 
he  was  living  there  at  that  time.  It  is  entirely  reason- 
able to  suppose  that  much  of  his  literary  labor  upon 
the  Scriptures  was  done  before  he  went  personally  into 
Judea ;  possibly  (perhaps  not'  probably)  some  of  it  as 
early  as  the  dedication  of  the  second  temple. 

(2.)  But  we  need  not  assume  that  Ezra  labored  in  his 


ESTHER;   THE   BOOK   BEARING   HER  NAME.  403 

great  work  upon  the  Scriptures  alone.  Jewish  tradition 
makes  him  the  head  man  in  "  the  Great  Synagogue  " — 
a  group  or  society  of  learned  scribes  who  wrought  in  the 
same  field,  some  luith  him  in  time;  some  before  him,  and 
some  after.  This  seems  to  be  the  true  explanation  of  this 
chronological  question.  Such  men  as  Haggai,  Zecha- 
riah,  and  Zerubbabel  may  have  commenced  this  great 
work ;  Ezra  took  it  up  and  carried  it  forward ;  other  good 
men,  following,  gave  it  the  finishing  hand. 

Esther;  and  the  Booh  which  hears  her  Name. 

The  points  properly  introductory  to  this  book  are — the 
date  and  locality  of  its  events ;  the  author  of  the  book 
and  his  pur2oose. 

The  question  of  date  involves  the  prior  question :  Who 
was  this  Ahasuerus?  I  slightly  emphasize  the  word  this^ 
for  another  Ahasuerus  appears  in  Ezra  4:6.  By  almost 
universal  consent  of  modern  critics  this  one  was  Xerxes 
the  Great — famous  for  his  invasion  of  Greece — whose 
reign,  commonly  reckoned  at  twent)^-one  years,  fell 
between  Darius  Hystaspes  and  Artaxerxes  Longimanus. 
His  Hebrew  name  was  written  by  the  Greek  Xerxes ; 
his  character  and  acts  as  here  correspond  with  remark- 
able precision  to  the  character  and  life  of  Xerxes  in 
Grecian  histor}^  I  am  not  aware  of  any  objection  of 
real  weight  against  this  identification,  and  shall  there- 
fore assume  it. 

The  reader  will  notice  that,  taking  Ahasuerus  to  be 
Xerxes,  the  events  of  this  book  fall  after  the  dedica- 
tion of  the  second  temple  (second  j^ear  of  Darius),  and 
hejore  the  labors  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  (from  the 
seventh  to  the  thirty-second  or  some  later  year  of 
Artaxerxes  Longimanus). 

As  to  locality,  the  reader  will  see  that  these  events 
transpire,  not  in  Judah,  and  not  where  they  would 
directly  affect  the  colony  there  save  through  sj-mpathy; 
but  in  Shushan,  the  capital  of  the  Medo-Pcrsian  Em- 
l^ire.  The  book  shows  that  Jews  in  considerable 
numbers  were  scattered  over  that  empire,  many  in 
Shushan  itself.  Of  their  fortunes  under  a  special 
exigency  during  the  reign  of  Xerxes  this  book  gives 
an  account. 

The   name  of   the   author  of  this  book  can  not  be 


404  THE  STORY   OF    ESTHER. 

ascertained  with  any  certainty.  He  gives  details  so 
minutely  that  he  must  have  lived  on  the  spot.  His 
allusions  to  Persian  life  and  manners,  luxury,  customs 
and  history,  harmonize  so  entirely  with  what  comes  to 
us  through  the  Greek  historians  as  to  compel  the  same 
conclusion.     The  waiter  knew  too  much  of  the  Persians 

to  have  lived  elsewhere  than  there  and  then. Some 

think  the  book  was  written  by  Mordecai.  It  is  probably 
safe  to  SHY — By  him,  or  at  least  under  his  eye. 

As  to  purpose  and  aim,  the  author  recognizes  the  feast 
of  Purim ;  indeed  makes  great  account  of  it  as  an  estab- 
lished institution;  probably  was  active  in  making  it 
such;  and  consequently  prepared  this  history  of  the 
events  that  culminated  in  that  commemorative  fes- 
tival. Those  events  were  worthy  of  this  commemora- 
tion. God's  hand  in  them  from  first  to  last  was  so 
signally  manifest,  the  lessons  they  taught  could  not  fail 

to  be  at  once  impressive  and  instructive. But  though 

God's  hand  was  in  these  events,  too  plainly  manifest  to 
be  mistaken  or  unnoticed,  yet  his  name  is  not  here,  not 
being  even  once  written  in  this  book.  We  are  left  in 
no  doubt  that  Mordecai  believed  in  God's  covenant  with 
his  people  and  in  his  promises  of  salvation  in  their 
behalf  (4 :  14),  and  that  both  he  and  Esther  believed  in 
prayer,  though  they  do  not  name  pra5"er,  but  only  fast- 
ing, when  it  seems  plain  enough  that  prayer  is  in  their 
thought  as  truly  as  fasting.  Why  this  reticence  as  to 
the  name  of  God  and  as  to  prayer  to  him,  is  a  mystery 
unexplained.  It  is  natural  to  assume  that  there  was 
some  reason  in  their  relation  to  Persian  or  to  Magian 
ideas  (philosophical,  superstitious,  or  otherwise)  which 
induced  this  suppression  of  names  ever  dear  to  pious 
souls ;  but  what  the  reason  was  must  probably  remain 

unknown. The    contrast    between    this    book    and 

Nehemiah  and  Ezra  in  these  respects  is  striking. 

The  story  is  told  with  great  simplicity  and  clearness. 
In  the  third  year  of  the  reign  of  this  Ahasuerus  he 
convened  an  immense  council  of  his  subordinate  offi- 
cers, heads  of  the  provinces  (127)  of  his  vast  empire 
which  continued  its  sittings  and  convivialities  180 
days.  It  is  assumed  with  high  probability  that  the 
object  of  this  council  was  to  take  action  upon  the  inva- 
sion of  Greece — that  great  but  most  disastrous  enter- 
prise of  Xerxes,  in  which  he   took  5,000,000  of  men 


THE   STORY   OF   ESTHER.  405 

a'cross  the  Hellespont  (soldiers,  servants,  sutlers,  etc., 
all  counted),  yet  scarcely  brought  back  5,000.  The 
gorgeous  splendor  of  this  great  festival  (1 :  5-8)  is  quite 
in  harmony  with  the  historic  accounts  of  Persian  luxury 
and  magnificence.  His  great  army  gotten  up  in  the 
same  style  was  enervated,  and,  against  Grecian  disci- 
pline and  vigor,  powerless. When  the  king  and  his 

lords  became  merry  and  rude  with  wine,  he  gave  orders 
"  to  bring  his  Queen  Yashti  before  him  with  the  crown 
ro3^al  to  show  the  people  and  the  princes  her  beauty; 
for  she  was  fair  to  look  on."  We  think  the  better  of 
her  that  she  had  so  much  sense  of  womanly  dignity  as 
to  refuse  to  make  herself  the  gazing  stock  of  a  hundred 
or  more  half-drunken  men  though  they  were  the  digni- 
taries of  the  empire.  The  king  felt  his  dignity  hurt  by 
her  refusal,  and  brought  the  offense,  as  one  of  grave 
importance,  before  his  seven  high  counselors.  They 
too  felt  the  gravity  of  this  momentous  question,  taking 
what  they  seem  to  have  regarded  as  very  broad  and 
statesman-like  views  of  its  bearings  upon  the  proper 
subordination  of  all  wives  throughout  the  realm  to  their 
husbands.  They  advise  that  she  be  promptly  deposed 
(shall  we  say  divorced?)  and  her  place  filled  by  the 
most  beautiful  damsel  to  be  found  in  the  realm.  It 
was  of  the  Lord  that  this  flurry  in  the  royal  harem 
should  bring  in  Esther  the  Jewess,  cousin  and  ward  of 
Mordecai,  to  become  queen  of  King  Ahasuerus.  Mor- 
decai,  it  seems,  held  some  subordinate  place  in  the 
palace.  Esther's  nationality  was  not  at  this  time 
known. 

Another  incident  is  on  record  (2 :  21-23)  which  sub- 
sequently turned  to  account  toward  the  elevation  of 
INIordecai.  A  conspiracy  by  two  offended  chamberlains 
to  take  the  life  of  the  king  came  to  his  knowledge. 
Promptly  exposing  it  he  saved  the  king  from  assassi- 
nation. Public  record  was  made  of  his  agency  in  their 
exposure  and  punishment;  but  no  further  notice  was 
taken  of  it  at  the  time. 

Haman  comes  to  light  here,  apparently  an  artful 
flatterer,  working  his  way  skillfully  into  the  good  graces 
of  his  king,  and  rising  rapidly  to  the  highest  honors. 
All  the  king's  servants  bowed  before  Haman  with 
oriental  reverence — all  save  this  Jew  Mordecai,  who, 
from  conscientious  scruples  or  contempt  for  the  man, 


406  THE   STORY   OF    ESTHER. 

declined  persistently.  The  supposition  of  conscientious 
scruples  is  the  more  probable  because  in  this  connec- 
tion it  came  out  that  Mordecai  was  a  Jew. Haman 

was  stung  by  this  assumed  disrespect.  Disdaining  the 
insignificant  revenge  of  taking  one  human  life  for  so 
grave  an  insult,  he  plotted  the  destruction  of  all  the 
Jews  in  the  empire.  Such  a  measure  commended 
itself  to  him  (probably)  as  magnificent — worthy  of  the 
head  prince  of  the  great  realm  of  Persia !  To  compass 
his  object  he  represented  to  the  king  that  the  Jews 
were  a  "diverse"  set  of  people  scattered  over  his  realm, 
subject  to  laws  of  their  own,  and,  as  he  would  imply,  to 
no  other  laws — not,  therefore,  a  profitable  class  of  sub- 
jects for  his  empire.  He  proposed  to  the  king  to  ex- 
terminate them  altogether.  He  will  pay  the  king  ten 
thousand  talents  of  silver  for  the  desired  edict  for  their 

extermination. Under  a  strong  love  of  money  and  a 

shamefully  weak  sense  of  justice,  the  king  yielded.  It 
does  not  appear  that  he  even  hesitated  at  all  over  this 
bloody  proposition.*  Apparently  to  relieve  somewhat 
Haman's  financial  burdens,  the  king  said  to  him  :  "The 
silver  is  given  to  thee  "  (probably  in  the  sense  of  j^er- 
mission  to  confiscate  all  the  property  of  the  murdered 
Jews,  to  reimburse  himself  for  the  ten  thousand  tal- 
ents);  "and  the  people  also;"  do  what  you  like  with 
them.  Haman  had  previously  cast  lots  to  find  the 
auspicious  day  for  this  holocaust  of  human  life ;  and 
tlie  Lord  had  put  it  off  to  the  last  month  of  the  year,  so 
that  eleven  months  intervened  before  the  day  of 
slaughter.  The  order  having  been  obtained,  sealed,  and 
made  irrevocable  by  the  Persian  constitution,  it  was 
promulgated  throughout  the  empire,  that  on  the  thir- 
teenth day  of  Adar,  the  last  month  of  the  year,  all  Jews 
were  to  be  massacred  and  their  property  confiscated. 
This  being  done,  "the  king  and  Haman  sat  down  to 
drink" — little  dreaming  of  the  retributions  of  the 
Ahnighty;  "but  the  city  Shushan  was  perplexed" — 
not  tlie  Jews  only,  but  the  people  at  large  trembled  be- 
fore such  shocking  inhumanity  and  such  a  barbarous 

*■  Such  massacres  of  a  wliole  race  of  people  were  by  no  means  un- 
known in  Oriental  history.  The  immediate  predecessor  of  Darius 
(Xerxes'  father)  was  a  Magian.  On  the  accession  of  Darius,  all 
Magians  were  doomed  to  slaughter.  It  is  said  that  fifty  thousand 
were  slain. 


THE   STORY   OF    ESTHER.  407 

exercise  of  power.  How  could  they  know  how  soon  a 
similar  edict  might  call  for  their  own  heads? 

Mordecai  mourned  in  bitter  grief;  and  "  many  of  his 
people  lay  in  sackcloth  and  ashes."  Ultimately  ho 
sent  to  Esther  a  copy  of  the  king's  bloody  decree  and 
"charged  her  to  go  in  to  the  king  and  make  request 

before  him  for  her  people." This  is  the  hour  of  her 

responsibility.  She  feels  the  critical  delicacy  of  her 
position.  By  the  law  of  the  Persian  harem  she  can  not 
go  before  the  king  uncalled,  except  -svith  some  peril  of 
her  life.  If  the  king  takes  such  intrusion  kindly,  he 
extends  the  golden  scepter  :  if  otherwise,  the  intruder 
must  die.  She  replied  to  Mordecai  that  she  had  not 
been  called  in  to  the  king  for  thirty  days,  and  could  not 
know  when  she  might  be  called  again.  Mordecai 
replied :  Remember  you  belong  to  the  doomed  race. 
Think  not  that  you  will  escape  when  all  the  Jews  of 
the  realm  are  massacred.  He  added — "Enlargement 
and  deliverance  will  come  to  the  Jews  from  some 
quarter."  Manifestly  he  had  faith  in  the  God  of  their 
covenant — the  God  of  the  ancient  promises.  He  con- 
cluded with  yet  another  allusion  to  the  unseen,  dispo- 
sing Hand  : — "Who  knoweth  whether  thou  art  come  to 
the  kingdom  for  such  a  time  as  this?"  The  provi- 
dences that  brought  you  there  are  wonderful.  Perhaps 
God's  hand  shaped  them  that  you  might  be  the  savior 
of  3'our  people  in  this  terrible  emergency. 

What  is  her  reply?  "Go,"  said  she,  "gather  all  the 
Jews  of  Shushan  and  fast  for  me  three  days."  (Why  does 
not  she  say  what  she  doubtless  means— fast  and  pray  ?) 
I  and  my  maidens  will  fast  likewise;  and  so— after  this 
— I  will  go  in  to  the  king,  though  it  be  not  according  to 

law;  "and  if  I  perish,  I  perish." She  went  in,  and 

the  king  extended  his  golden  scepter,  and  invited  her 
to  make  her  request  known. The  moment  is  so  criti- 
cal, the  interests  are  so  vast,  the  perils  of  the  future  so 
great,  she  can  not  bring  herself  to  name  her  main  re- 
quest 5'et,  but  said — "  Come,  thou  and  Haman,  to-mor- 
row to  my  banquet."  Agreed;  but  still  her  mind 
labored  with  anxious  care.  She  dared  not  present  her 
main  petition  yet  (the  Lord's  aiTangements  were  not 
ripe) — she  therefore  invited  them  to  a  second  banquet 
the  next  da3\  Then  she  would  bring  before  the  king 
her  great  request. 


408  THE    STORY   OF    ESTHER. 

This  delay  provided  for  certain  new  developments  as 
to  Haman.  He  is  elated  with  the  honors  shown  him — • 
l:)y  all  save  that  man  Mordecai,  sitting  contemptuously 
and  giving  him  no  recognition  of  homage  as  he  passed 
along.  ''AH  this  honor,"  said  he,  "avails  me  nothing 
so  long  as  I  see  Mordecai  the  Jew  sitting  at  the  king's 
gate,"  paying  me  no  deference.  It  weighed  upon  his 
heart  so  badly  that  he  talked  the  case  over  with  his 
wife  and  friends.  They  advised  him  to  fit  up  a  gallows 
for  Mordecai  fifty  cubits  high,  and  ask  the  king's  order 
to  hang  Mordecai  thereon.  They  assumed  that  the  king 
would  grant  this.  Mordecai  was  nothing  but  a  Jew,  and 
only  one  at  that — not  a  whole  nation ;  and  at  the  utmost, 
this  would  only  anticij^ate  by  a  few  months  what  the 

king  had  already  decreed. Here  the  hand  of  God 

came  in  again.  For  some  reason  unknown  to  himself 
the  king  on  the  ensuing  night  was  sleepless.  To  pass 
away  the  heavy  time,  he  ordered  the  records  of  the  realm 
to  be  read  before  him;  when  lo,  there  came  up  the  for- 
gotten case  of  the  conspiracy  against  his  life,  discovered 
and  disclosed  by  Mordecai  the  Jew.  "Has  any  thing 
been  done  to  reward  Mordecai  for  this  ?  "  "  Nothing." 
Something  must  be  done  without  delay.  [It  is  very 
much  for  the  interest  of  all  kings — despots  as  well  as 
better  men — to  encourage  the  revelation  of  bloody  con- 
spiracies]. At  the  dinner  table  where  Haman  has  it  on 
his  mind  to  ask  the  king's  permission  to  impale  Mor- 
decai on  his  lofty  gallows,  the  king  has  this  other  thing 
on  his  mind.  "  Haman,"  said  he,  "  what  shall  be  done  to 
the  man  whom  the  king  delighteth  to  honor?"  That, 
said  Haman  to  himself,  means  me ;  now  is  my  time  to 
mount  to  the  highest  honors  of  the  realm — next  below 
the  king.  So  he  shapes  the  answer  to  his  own  taste  : — 
"Put  on  him  the  king's  apparel;  give  him  the  king's 
horse  to  ride — his  crown  to  wear ;  and  a  herald  to  go 
before  him,  proclaiming,  "  Thus  is  it  done  to  the  man 
whom  the  king  delighteth  to  honor."     "Go  thou,"  said 

the  king,  "and  do  all  this  to  Mordecai  the  Jew." 

Alas!  was  ever  mortal  man  worse  confounded?  The 
king's  word  is  law.  Having  obeyed  it,  he  hastened  to 
his  house,  with  heavy  heart — head  covered.  He  could 
not  conceal  from  his  wife  and  friends  what  had  hap- 
pened. They  see  in  it  the  augury  of  a  sure  and  fatal 
fall. The  second  banquet  hastened  on;  the  time  had 


THE   STORY   OF    ESTHER.  409 

fully  come  for  Esther  to  present  her  great  request  to 
the  kins:.  She  does  it  modestly,  yet  with  thrilling 
effect :  "  If  it  please  the  king,  let  my  life  be  given 
me  at  my  petition  and  my  people  at  my  request ; 
for  we  are  sold,  I  and  my  people  to  be  destroyed,  to 
be  slain,  to  perish.  If  we  had  only  been  sold  for  slaves, 
I  would  have  remained  silent — although   the  enemy 

could  not  make  good   the   damage   to  the  king." 

"  Who  is  the  man,"  said  the  king;  "where  is  the  man 
that  durst  presume  in  his  heart  to  do  so?"  Esther 
replied — "The   adversary   and  enemy  is  this  wicked 

Haman." Alas,   poor   Haman!      "He   was  afraid" 

[these  words  are  weak] — "  afraid  before  the  king  and 
the  queen."  The  king  rose  suddenly  from  his  table  in 
great  agitation,  to  walk  in  his  palace  garden.  Haman 
seizes  the  moment  to  fall  at  Esther's  feet  and  beg  for 
his  life.  The  king  returning  saw  him  there  and  said — 
"  Will  he  even  force  the  queen  before  me  in  the  house  ?  " 
At  that  word,  the  attendants  forecast  Haman's  doom  and 
cover  his  face.  One  said — There  is  the  gallows,  fifty 
cubits  high,  which  Haman  built  for  Mordecai.  The 
king  said,  "  Hang  Haman  there."  Done ;  and  the  king's 
wrath  was  pacified. 

At  this  stage  (if  not  before)  Esther  informs  the  king 
of  her  relation  to  Mordecai.  He  was  introduced  before 
the  king  and  at  once  promoted  to  high  honor  and  re- 
sponsibility.    The   house   and   estate  of  Haman  were 

made  over  to  him. The  way  was  at  length  prepared 

for  Esther  to  make  her  final  request  of  the  king — that 
ho  reverse  that  horrible  decree  which  authorized  the 
slaughter  of  all  the  Jews  of  his  realm.  He  avowed  his 
readiness  to  do  any  thing  for  her  and  her  people  that 
he  could ;  but  a  decree  of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  once 
made  and  sealed,  no  power  could  reverse.  This  how- 
ever he  could  do,  and  did :  Raise  Mordecai  to  the  highest 
honor  as  his  prime  minister;  show  his  personal  sympa- 
thy for  his  Jewish  subjects  unmistakably,  and  give  them 
full  authority  to  defend  themselves  everywhere ;  destroy 
their  assailants;  and  confiscate  their  property. 

In  the  event  the  popular  sympathy  proved  to  be 
intensely  icUh  the  Jews  and  against  their  enemies. 
"  Many  of  the  peoi)le  of  the  land  became  Jews,  for  the 

fear  of  the  Jews  fell  upon  them"   (8:  17). On  the 

great  day  of  their  decreed  slaughter,  "  all  the  rulers  and 


410  REVELATION  PROGRESSIVEj  ETC. 

officers  of  the  king  helped  the  Jews  because  the  fear  of 
Mordecai  fell  upon  them  "  (9 :  3).  The  story  does  not 
indicate  that  any  Jews  fell  in  these  two  days  of  terror 
and  blood.  Of  their  enemies  there  fell  500  in  Shushan  ; 
in  all  the  provinces  75,000.  The  second  day  assigned 
for  slaughter  and  the  day  following  were  for  all  Jews 
days  of  intensest  exultation  and  joy.  The  day  "  was 
turned  as  to  them  from  sorrow  to  joy ;  and  from  mourn- 
ing into  a  good  day."  That  day  in  which  they  had 
expected  only  assault,  pillage,  blood,  death,  over  all  the 
Persian  empire,  proved  through  God's  reversing  provi- 
dences to  be  a  day  of  bloodless  victory  over  their  ene- 
mies ;  a  day  of  gladness,  congratulations,  feasting,  and 

all  possible  demonstrations  of  joy. To  celebrate  these 

days  the  feast  of  Purim  was  ordained  for  the  fourteenth 
and  fifteenth  of  the  month  Adar — to  be  celebrated 
through  all  their  generations.  It  has  been  kept  to  this 
day.  In  this  festival,  all  Jews  refresh  their  memory 
with  the  events  of  this  book  of  Esther  and  their  hearts 
with  the  indications  of  God's  kind  remembrance  of 
their  low  estate,  gratefully  welcoming  such  proofs  as 
these  that  their  own  God  knoweth  how  to  give  songs  in 
pLace  of  wailings ;  life  and  peace  instead  of  the  horrors 
of  bloody  extermination. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

Divine  Revelation  iirogresslve  throughout  Hebrew  History. 

Our  study  of  Hebrew  history  will  be  yet  incomplete 
till  we  have  given  duo  attention  to  the  progress  made 
in  God's  revelations  of  himself  to  men  in  the  course  of 
this  Hebrew  history. 

In  the  outset  I  must  caution  the  reader  not  to  con- 
found progress  in  building  up  and  purifying  the  church 
with  progress  in  the  revelations  of  God.  It  is  charming 
to  be  able  to  observe  progress  in  the  tone  of  piety;  joro- 
gress  in  the  manifestations  of  the  religious  life;  and 
sad  to  see — instead  of  this — a  real  decline,  a  positive 
retrogression.  Yet  let  it  be  distinctly  said :  God  may 
be  making  as  real  and  as  rapid  progress  in  the  revela- 


ETC.  411 

tion  of  himself  in  jieriods  of  declension  as  in  periods  of 
reviving  and  enlargement  to  Zion.  There  are  aspects 
of  his  character  which  shine  more  brightly  in  times  of 
Zion's  fldversit}^ 

Aiming  to  arrange  with  some  method  the  points  of 
noticeable  progress  in  this  portion  of*Hebrew  history,  I 
remark, 

1.  If  it  was  progress  to  give  to  mankind  a  large  body 
of  Christian  experience  in  the  inspired  utterances  of 
Psalmist  and  Prophet,  it  was  but  filling  out  more  com- 
pletely the  exhibition  of  this  progress  to  give  in  history 
the  circumstances  and  events  under  which  those  experi- 
ences occurred.  By  this  aid  those  experiences  become  to 
our  apprehension  more  life-like,  vivid,  real,  impressive. 
Indeed  it  were  simply  impossible  to  understand  and  ap- 
preciate those  experiences  without  this  historic  aid. 
Hence  I  have  aimed  to  refer  from  this  history  to  the 
Psalms  composed  under  the  full  impression  of  the  cir- 
cumstances which  this  history  sets  before  us.  On  the 
same  principle  many  passages  in  the  prophets  will  be 
seen  in  their  true  light  and  felt  in  their  fuller  power  if 
read  in  connection  with  the  history  to  which  they  refer. 
The  experiences  of  both  Psalmist  and  Prophet,  history 
serves  not  only  to  interpret,  but  to  illustrate  and  even  to 
illuminate  with  the  radiance  of  their  full  glory. 

2.  It  was  progress  to  reveal  the  purity  and  justice  of 
God  both  in  chastising  and  in  punishing  his  people 
when  they  apostatized  into  idolatry  and  lapsed  into 
flagrant  immorality.  Of  this  we  have  seen  count- 
less examples  throughout  the  history  of  the  Judges 
and  of  the  wicked  kings  of  both  Israel  and  Judah. 
It  was  the  solemn  purpose  of  the  Lord  to  make  his 
covenant  people  understand  that  such  sin  could  not  be 
tolerated;  that  such  professed  service  could  in  nowise 
be  taken  for  service  at  all.  "Of  purer  eye  than 
to  behold  iniquity"  was  written  by  the  divine 
finger  on  every  uplifted  rod  of  chastisement ;  on  every 
visitation  of  retributive  judgment.  While  the  chas- 
tisement was  corrective  and  the  judgment  was  illustra- 
tive of  his  eternal  justice,  both  alike  bore  their  testi- 
mony that  God  hated  sin  intensely,  and  must  either 
eradicate  the  sin  or  exterminate  the  sinner. 

3.  It  was  progress  to  roll  up  a  mass  of  overwhelming 
testimonies  to  God^s  iirescnt  retribution  upon  guilty  nations. 


412  REVELATION    PROGRESSIVE,  ETC. 

It  can  not  be  said  too  clearly  or  emphatically  that 
nations  as  such  have  a  character  and  life  of  their  own ; 
therefore  must  bear  moral  responsibilities  toward  the 
Infinite  God  each  for  itself;  and — what  is  specially 
vital  to  consider — must  have  their  retribution  not  only 
begun  but  finished  in  this  w^orld — in  time — for  the  sim- 
ple reason  that  as  nations  they  have  no  future  world. 
Hence  they  afford  in  all  ages  finished  examples  of  God's 
retributive  justice. 

It  should  be  remembered  as  bearing  not  on  this  one 
point  only,  but  upon  all  the  points  made  in  this  closing 
chapter : — It  is  valuable  to  us  above  all  price  that  in 
this  historic  Bible,  the  Historian  is  virtually  God  himself. 
"  Hoi 3^  men  of  old  spake  as  they  moved  by  the  Holy 
Ghost."  Of  uninspired  historians  some  are  too  blind  to 
see  God's  hand  in  history ;  some  too  perverse  to  honor 
what  of  it  they  do  see.  God  knows  his  own  doings  and 
the  meaning  thereof.  When  therefore  he  becomes  his 
own  historian,  how  should  we  honor  the  history  he 
w^rites,  and  how  should  we  ponder  solemnly,  profoundly, 
the  words  which  reveal  the  great  principles  upon  Avhich, 
as  he  himself  testifies,  he  governs  the  nations  of  the 
earth ! 

4.  It  was  progress  to  give  so  many  manifestations  of 
God^s  righteous  judgments  upon  individuals — in  a  dispensa- 
tion which  filled  out  its  results  upon  individual  men 
so  far — not  perfectly  indeed,  yet  far  enough  to  become 
strikingly  manifest.  It  has  been  sometimes  said  (upon 
very  superficial  consideration)  that  all  the  ills  sent  of 
God  upon  sinners  in  this  world  are  discipline;  none  of 
them  retribution.  Our  reading  of  this  Hebrew  history 
sliould  have  taught  us  better.  For,  what  shall  Ave  say 
of  God's  "rendering  their  iniquities  upon  Abimelech 
and  the  men  of  Shechem"  (Judg.  9  :  bQ^  bl)  or  upon  the 
two  sons  of  Eli,  or  upon  King  Saul,  or  upon  Absalom, 
or  Jezebel,  or  Jehoiakim  ?  If  there  be  any  such  thing 
as  retribution  from  God  upon  sin,  the  judgments  that 
fell  from  his  hand  upon  these  notorious  sinners  were  of 
this  sort;  not  indeed  finished,  perfected  retribution,  yet 
retribution  in  nature  and  in  fact  none  the  less.  The 
fullness  and  variety  of  these  illustrative  cases  make  up 
a  chapter  from  God's  recording  prophets  whose  testi- 
mony it  were  folly  to  ignore  and  fool-hardiness  to  dis- 
regard. 


REVELATION   PROGRESSIVE,  ETC.  413 

5.  It  was  progress  to  give  illustrations  of  this  divine 
retribution  in  sufficient  number,  variety  and  clearness, 

to  disclose  in  a  fair  measure  its  real  nature. The  idea 

finds  no  little  favor  in  our  age  that  retribution  for  sin 
is  neither  more  nor  less  than  sin  punishing  itself.  Sin 
(some  men  love  to  say)  is  its  own  punishment ;  a  bad 
heart  its  own  avenger— and  beyond  that — nothing.  In 
their  view  there  is  no  need  of  God  in  the  case ;  and  God 
is  not  in  it.  Whatever  moral  government  there  is  in 
this  world  or  in  the  world  to  come  runs  itself.  Tlie  sin- 
ner's own  nature,  and  this  only,  is  judge,  jur}^,  execu- 
tioner. If  God  even  stoops  to  look  on,  it  is  a  fact  of  no 
particular  account.    The  process  is  all  the  same  whether 

he  do  or  do  not. This  volume  can  not  afford  space  to 

discuss  this  notion  exhaustively.  But  it  is  in  place 
here  to  say  emphatically  that  these  views  of  retribution 
for  sin  never  came  from  the  Bible.  Everywhere  in  the 
insj^ired  history  of  retribution  on  sinners,  it  is  God's 
own  scales  of  justice  that  measure  the  sinner's  ill-desert, 
and  his  own  hand  which  hurls  the  thunders  of  heaven 
upon  the  guilty.  Who  judged  and  punished  the  wicked 
sons  of  Eli?  Were  they  left  to  the  sole  retribution  of  a 
guilty  and  accusing  conscience  ?  Was  Jezebel's  a  case 
of  self-torment  and  of  self-inflicted  punishment  ?  Is 
there  a  solitary  case  in  the  long  catalogue  of  Bible  sin- 
ners suffering  retribution  for  their  sins  on  earth,  in 
which  you  can  say  with  the  least  show  of  reason  that 
sin  punished  itself  and  that  the  government  which 
visited  them  with  retribution  was  self-acting,  self- 
asserting,  and  self-vindicating  ?  We  shall  need  entirely 
another  Bible  for  this  new  doctrine  of  retribution. 

6.  It  is  in  a  sort  the  resultant  of  points  already  made 
above,  to  say  that  Bible  history  shows  God  to  be  a  Moral 
Governor — evermore  holding  men  responsible  to  him- 
self, and  actually  punishing  sin  by  the  infliction  of  suf- 
fering. Tliis  doctrine  does  not  assert  that  God  makes 
his  administration  of  this  moral  government  perfect 
here  in  time ;  does  not  deny  that  in  large  part  it  holds 
over  to  another  world — beginning  here ;  taught,  illus- 
trated and  enforced  upon  the  human  heart  and  con- 
science by  the  part  developed  here  ;  yet  carried  over  for 
its  completed  result,  into  that  enduring  state  of  exist- 
ence where  there  shall  be  no  lack  of  either  time  or  means 
or  agencies  to  make  its  awards  absolutely  perfect.    The 


414  REVELATION   PROGRESSIVE,   ETC. 

great  fact — God  the  Moral  Governor  of  all  his  moral 
subjects — stands  out  on  every  page  of  Bible  history.  It 
could  not  well  have  been  made  more  plain  if  God  had 
created  the  Hebrew  race  and  given  them  a  history  for 
the  sole  end  of  teaching  and  illustrating  this  stupen- 
dous truth. 

7.  It  was  progress  to  show  by  frequent,  indeed  per- 
petual, illustrations  that  probation  in  time  is  purposely 
shaped  to  afford  space  for  repentance.  What  is  the  history 
of  God's  ways  with  sinners  (nations  or  individual  men) 
but  warning  and  waiting;  waiting  and  warning — with 
rod  uplifted  but  slow  to  fall — all  as  if  the  ever-present 
thought  and  purpose  of  the  Great  Ruler  were  to  per- 
suade the  guilty  to  repent;  to  spare  them  long  in 
patient  hope ;  and  to  let  fall  the  fearful  blow  only  when 
the  last  hope  had  perished?  We  have  read  this  his- 
tory but  poorly  if  we  have  not  seen  this  great  purpose 
of  God  radiant  everywhere  in  the  light  of  his  patieiice 
and  of  his  love. 

8.^  It  was  progress  to  show  that  while  God's  judgments 
against  sin  were  fearfully  manifest,  yet  they  were  "  his 
strange  loork,  and  mercp  his  delight.''''  Everywhere  the 
record  shows  that  he  loves  to  forgive  and  does  not  love 
to  afflict ;  that  he  gives  pardons  when  he  can  with  full 
heart  and  overflowing  hand;  but  lets  fall  consuming 
judgments  with  heart-pangs  of  grief,  and  only  when 
lie  must — swift  to  hear  the  cry  of  penitent  souls  for 
mercy;  slow  to  wrath  even  against  the  most  defiant  and 
most  guilty.  A  history  which  abounds  in  such  illus- 
trations ought  to  leave  no  mind  in  darkness  as  to  the 
character  and  ways  of  the  Holy  One. 

9.  Let  the  remark  take  the  broadest  compass : — It  is 
progress  to  show  that  man  needs  a  Savior,  and  more- 
over needs  a  moral  laiv  to  reveal  to  him  this  need  of  such 
a  Savior  as  Jesus.  It  was  consummate  wisdom  in  God 
to  allow  some  time  in  this  world's  history  before  the 
Messiah  should  appear.  There  was  preparatory  work  to 
be  done.  In  nothing  was  this  need  more  imperative 
than  in  regard  to  just  views  of  God  as  Lawgiver  and 
Moral  Governor;  a  just  sense  of  sin  and  of  the  hopeless- 
ness of  the  sinner's  case  without  a  divine  Redeemer. 
AH  along  the  ages  of  Hebrew  history  light  was  break- 
ing forth  on  these  cardinal  points.  The  chosen  people 
were  often  falling   into  great  sin,  and  as  often  were 


ETC.  415 

compelled  to  study  and  learn  the  conditions  of  God's 
forgiving  mercy.  Sacrifice,  confession,  penitence, 
prayer— so  they  found  mercy,  and  so  they  marked  the 
way  to  mercy  for  the  guidance  of  sinning  men  all  along 
the  ages  that  were  to  follow.  The  sacrificial  system 
gave  the  idea  of  atonement — pardon  through  another's 
blood.  Confession  admitted  that  in  justice  the  sinner 
and  not  the  innocent  lamb  deserved  to  die.  So  light 
was  shed  on  the  way  of  salvation  through  a  Savior  yet 
to  come,  witnessing  "that  "  without  the  shedding  of  blood, 
there  could  be  no  remission  of  sin." 

10.  A  ritual  system  with  indefinite  ceremonial  cleans- 
ings  being  useful  to  lift  men's  thought  to  the  idea  of 
spiritual  puritj^  it  was  progress  to  guard  the  system 
against  abuse  by  showing  that  the  washing  of  the  flesh 
merely  illustrated  but  could  never  supersede  the  washing 

of  the  heart,  and  was  by  no  means  the  same  thing. 

So  also,  it  being  helpful  toward  just  conceptions  of  a 
present  God  to  give  some  symbols  of  his  presence  (e.  g., 
the  ark ;  the  visible  glory  above  it ;  the  sacred  temple) 
it  became  vital  to  guard  these  ritual  helps  against  abuse 
by  showing  that  the  presence  of  these  symbols  could 
never  save  men  in  their  sins.  Historic  illustrations  on 
such  points  as  these  became  a  necessit}^,  and  are  ainong 
the  points  of  real  progress  in  the  revelations  of  God  to 
men. 

11.  It  was  progress  to  furnish  prophetic  foreshadowings 
of  God's  great  thoughts  of  merc}^  touching  a  Savior  to  come 

and  the  icork  he  should  really  achieve  in  our  world. We 

can  scarcely  enter  upon  this  great  subject  here.  Yet 
let  it  be  said  briefly  that  while  the  nature  of  his  atoning 
sacrifice  is  largely  left  for  its  illustration  to  the  Mosaic 
sacrificial  S3"stem,  it  fell  chiefly  to  the  prophets  to  give 
pre-intimations  as  to  the  residts  of  the  Messiah^s  coming  and 
the  extent  of  his  blessings  upon  our  race.  The  details  on 
these  points  are  to  be  found  (of  course)  in  the  prophetic 

l)ooks,  and  can  not  be  presented  here. But  it  is  in 

place  to  say  here  that  these  pages  of  Hebrew  history 
stand  in  a  very  peculiar  relation  to  Hebrew  propliecy 
as  furnishing  to  a  great  extent  the  basis  for  2^0 j)hetic  illus- 
ti-ation. Let  us  study  this  fact  as  seen  in  special  ex- 
amples. 

(a.)  In  prophecy  the  Messiah  is  a  king;  is  to 'rule  a 
kingdom;   is   to  achieve   results  legitimate  to  a  well 


416 

ordered  kingdom,  viz.,  righteousness,  prosperity,  peace. 

Where  is  the  model  of  this  kingdom?     Whence 

came  the  conception,  the  figure,  which  so  largely  under- 
lies three-fourths  of  all  the  prophecies  respecting  the 

Messiah  ? The  one  comprehensive  answer  is — Fivm 

the  kingdom  of  David.  As  David's  reign  made  Israel 
great  and  triumphant  over  enemies  on  every  side,  and 
religious  also,  and  peaceful  and  prosperous  beyond  any 
thing  known  in  the  whole  range  of  Hebrew  history,  so 
it  came  to  be  the  best  type  of  the  nation's  Messiah  in 
all  the  great  respects  here  contemplated.  The  history 
well  studied  interprets  those  grand  old  proj)hecies 
whose  imagery  is  built  upon  it. 

(b.)  There  occurred  more  than  once  in  the  course 
of  this  history  some  signal  deliverance  wrought  of 
God  in  behalf  of  his  people,  of  a  sort  to  set  forth  both 
the  power  and  the  love  of  their  own  Jehovah..  These 
were  seized  by  the  prophets  for  the  illustration  of  the 
great  and  benign  results  to  be  achieved  by  the  nation's 
Messiah.  When  the  Assyrian  hosts  were  laid  low  so 
suddenl}^,  so  signall}^,  so  utterly,  in  one  eventful  night, 
Isaiah  saw  it  with  his  own  eyes,  and  his  soul  was  en- 
kindled. He  saw  in  it  not  only  what  God  had  wrought 
there,  but  what  he  ivould  achieve  when  the  little  root- 
shoot  from  the  stem  of  Jesse  (Isa.  10:  24-34,  and  11 :  1- 
16)  should  rule  in  righteousness,  and  his  moral  sway  on 
human  souls  be  far  more  glorious  than  this  fall  of  the 
proud  Assyrian's  host.  Who  can  say  how  much  the 
lofty  sublimity  of  Isaiah's  conceptions  of  the  Messiah 
may  be  due  to  the  inspirations  of  this  stupendous 
scene?  The  peace  and  joy  felt  by  the  daughters  of 
Jerusalem  after  the  Assyrian's  fall  passed  over  into  his 
tliought  of  the  blessedness  of  the  spiritual  Zion  under 
the  glorious  reign  of  her  own  Messiah. So  the  res- 
toration from  captivity  in  Babylon  served  to  lift  the 
soul  of  many  a  Hebrew  prophet  to  loftier  conceptions 
of  what  God  would  achieve  when  his  Son  should  become 
the  world's  Great  Iledeemer ;  should  break  every  yoke ; 
lift  his  people  from  bondage,  otherwise  hopeless,  and 
prove  himself  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost.  Those  glow- 
ing prophecies  of  Isaiah  (chaps.  40-66)  seem  to  have 
been  built  in  large  part  on  the  foreseen  redemption  of 
Israel  from  her  captivity  in  Babylon.  Jointly,  there- 
fore, upon  what  Isaiah  saw  (the  Assyrian  fall)  and 


REVELATION   PROGRESSIVEj    ETC.  417 

what  he  foresaw  (the  restoration  from  Babylon)  his 
sublime  predictions  of  the  future  Zion  rest,  and  from 

those  scenes  derive  their  wonderful  illustrations. 

These  cases,  the  reader  will  remember,  are  not  exhaust- 
ive, but  are  only  samples  to  illustrate  the  modes  of 
prophetic  conception  and  the  uses  which  the  prophetic 
spirit  made  of  Hebrew  history. 

(c.)  Yet  another  class  of  prophecies  find  their  historic 
illustration  in  another  group  of  historic  facts.  There 
were  periods  (e.  g.,  in  the  reign  of  Ahaz,  also  of  Jehoia- 
kim,  and  in  the  age  of  Malachi)  when  Judah  was  brought 
low  for  her  transgressions.  There  seemed  to  be  no  spirit- 
ual vitality  left  upon  which  to  rally  toward  new  life. 

Measured  by  human  resources,  all  was  lost. But  God 

still  lived  and  his  arm  was  still  strong  to  save.  The 
very  emergency  made  a  place  for  the  more  glorious  re- 
vealing of  his  power  and  of  his  love.  It  was  when  the 
whole  aspect  of  affairs  looked  so  death-like  under  Ahaz 
that  the  Lord  sent  through  Isaiah  that  bright  prophecy  of 
the  Virgin  and  her  son  Immanuel  (Isa.  7:  10-16). 
Drawn  out  in  more  ample  detail  the  same  principle  may 
he  seen  unfolded  in  Isa.  59  and  60; — first  a  state  of  un- 
paralleled moral  prostration ;  wickedness  rampant ; 
*' justice  standing  afar  off;"  "truth  fallen."  Then  the 
Lord  saw  there  was  no  help  in  man,  and  therefore  he  rose 
to  the  crying  emergency;  girded  himself  for  the  onset 
and  wrought  glorious  victory  for  Zion ;  for  here  Isaiah 
introduces  one  of  the  grandest  predictions  of  Messiah's 
reign  (Isa.  60)  which  prophet's  eye  has  ever  seen  or  pen 
recorded.  The  background  of  this  wonderful  picture  is 
the  desolation  that  came  over  Zion  in  the  wicked  reign 
of  Ahaz,  or  in  the  not  less  wicked  reigns  of  Judah's  last 
three  kings,  foreseen  prophetically,  which  brought  on 

the  great  captivity. A  similar  moral  ruin  in  the  age 

of  Malachi  kindled  the  zeal  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  to 
declare — "I  will  not  accept  your"  [heartless]  "offering." 
^^  For  from  the  rising  of  the  sun  to  the  going  down  of 
the  same,  my  name  shall  be  great  among  the  Gentiles ; 
and  in  every  place  incense  shall  be  offered  to  my  name 
and  a  pure  oflering;  for  mv  name  shall  he  great  among 

the  heathen,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts."  (Mai.  1 :  11.) 

Hebrew  history  gives  these  background  positions  for 
the  setting  of  such  brilliant  portrayals  of  Zion's  tran- 
scendent glories.     It  was  one  of  the  elements  of  a  pro- 


418  REVELATION  PROGRESSIVE,  ETC. 

gressive  revelation  to  give  these  darkest  historic  scenes, 
and  then  put  them  behind  the  prophetic  pictures  for 
their  background.  Else  we  had  failed  of  the  full  con- 
ception of  the  glories  of  our  Messiah's  reign. Such 

emergencies,  moreover,  give  historic  occasion  for  the 
enkindling  of  zeal  and  the  expression  of  determined 
purpose  on  the  part  of  the  Almighty — of  a  sort  which 
give  the  richest  demonstrations  of  his  will  to  make  the 
gospel  under  Messiah's  reign  a  sublime  and  glorious 
success,  to  the  full  extent  of  "  giving  the  nations  to  him 
for  his  inheritance  and  the  ends  of  the  earth  for  his 
possession." 


APPENDIX. 

CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLES. 


419 


I.  KINGS  OF  JUDAH. 

Began  to  reign  Reigned 

B.  C.  years. 

Pichoboam 975  17 

Abijain 958  3 

Asa 955  41 

Jehoshaphat 914  25 

Jehoram 891  7 

Ahaziah 884-  K 

Athaliah 884  7 

Joash 877  39 

Amaziah 838  27 

Uzziah 811  52 

Jotham 759  16 

Ahaz 743  15 

Ilezekiah...; 728  29 

Manasseh 699  55 

Amon 644  2 

Josiah 642  31 

Jehoahaz 611  K 

"Jehoiakim 611  11 

Jehoiachin 600  — 

Zedekiah 600  12 

End  of  the  kingdom  588 


II.  KINGS  OF  ISRAEL. 

Began  to  reign  Reigned 

B.  c.  years. 

Jeroboam  1 975  22 

Nadab 954  2 

Baasha 952  22 

Elah 930  1 

Omri 929  11 

Ahab 918  21 

Ahaziah 897  1 

Jehoram 896  12 

Jehu 884  28 

Jehoahaz 856  16 

Joash 840  16 

Jeroboam  II 825  41 

Interregnum 784  11 

Zachariah 773  K 

Shallum 773  1-12 

Menahem 773  12 

Pekahiah 761  2 

Pekah 759  19 

Interregnum 740  9 

Hoshea 731  9 

Endof  the  kingdom  722 


III.  HEBREW  PROPHETS. 

B.  C, 

Joel  (supposed)  830-825 

Jonah 823 

Amos 825-759 

Hosea between  825  and  699 

Isaiah 759-699 

Micah 758-699 

Nahum 700 

Jeremiah 629-580 

Zephaniah 624 

Habakkuk 610-588 

Daniel 603-533 

Ezekiel 595-573 

Obadiah 538-580 

Ilaggai 520 

Zechariah 520 

Ezra  457-432 

Nehemiah      in      Judah 

444-432  and  408-400 

Malachi  (supposed) 408-400 

N.  B. — In  a  few  of  these  cases  no 
certain  data  exist.  The  figures 
should  be  regarded  as  only  the  near- 
est approximation  to  truth  possible 
under  the  circumstances. 


IV.  KINGS  OF  ASSYRIA 

Which  appear  in  the  sacred  history. 

[On  the  authority  of  Geo.  Raw- 
linson.] 

B.  C. 

Pul 800-750 

Tiglath  Pileser 747-730 

Shalmanezer 730-721 

Sargon 721-702 

Sennacherib 702-680 

Esarhaddon 680-660 


CowLEs's  Notes  on  the  Old  Testameni 


I.     THE  3IINOU   mOPHJETS. 

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II.    EZEKIETj   and   DANIEL. 

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ir.    mOVEBBS,   ECCLESIASTES,   AND 
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By   Rev.    HENRY  COWLES,   D.   D. 


From  The  Christian  Intelligencer,  iV.  Y. 
"  These  works  are  desifrned  for  both  pastor  and  people.  They  embody  tho  re- 
sults of  much  research,  and  elucidate  the  text  of  sacred  Scripture  with  admirable 
force  and  simplicity.  The  learned  professor,  having  devoted  many  years  to  the 
close  and  devout  study  of  the  Bible,  seems  to  have  become  thoroughly  furnished 
with  aU  needful  materials  to  produce  a  useful  and  trustworthy  commentary." 

From  Br.  Leonard  Bacon,  of  Yale  College. 
"There  is,  within  my  knowledge,  no  other  work  on  the  same  portions  of  the 
Bible,  combining  so  much  of  the  results  of  accurate  scholarship  with  so  lauch  com- 
mon-sense and  so  much  of  a  practical  and  devotional  spirit." 

From  Rev.  Dr.  S.  Wolcott,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio. 
"  The  author,  who  ranks  as  a  scholar  with  the  most  eminent  graduates  of  Tale 
College,  has  devoted  years  to  the  study  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures  in  the  original 
tongues,  and  the  fruits  of  careful  and  independent  research  appear  in  this  work. 
With  sound  scholarship  the  writer  combines  the  unction  of  deep  religious  expe- 
rience, an  earnest  love  of  the  truth,  with  a  remarkable  freedom  from  all  fanciful 
•peculation,  a  candid  judgment,  and  the  faculty  of  expressing  his  thoughts  clearlj 
and  forcibly." 

From  President  K  B.  Fairfield,  of  Hillsdale  College, 
"I  am  very  much  pleased  with  your  Commentary.  It  meets  a  want  which 
laa  lon^  been  felt  For  various  reasons,  the  ^vritings  of  the  prophets  have  consti- 
nitcd  a  sealed  book  to  a  large  part  of  the  ministry  as  well  as  most  of  the  common 
people.  They  are  not  sufficiently  understood  to  make  them  appreciated.  Yoof 
Brief  notes  relievo  them  of  all  their  want  of  interest  to  common  re&ders.  I  tbiok 
fwi  bare  aald  joat  eoough.^ 


/>.  Appleton  (k  Company*^  Puhlicationt. 


18    CHRISTIAN    CENTURIES. 

BY 

THE    REV.    JAMES    WHITE, 

AUTHOR  OF  A  HISTORY   OF   FRANCE. 

1  VoL  12mo.    Cloth.    638  pages    $1.75. 


CONTENTS. 

1,  Cent.— -Tho  Bad  Eraperors.— II.  The  Good  Emperors. — III.  Anar- 
OHy  and  Confusion. — Growth  of  the  Christian  Church. — IV.  The  EemoTal 
to  Constantinople. — Establishment  of  Christianity. — Apostasy  of  Julian. — 
Bcttlement  of  the  Goths. — V.  End  of  the  Roman  Empire. — Formation  ol 
Modern  States.— Growth  of  Ecclesiastical  Authority.— VI.  Belisarius  and 
Narses  in  Italy— Settlement  of  the  Lombards. — Laws  of  Justinian. — Birth 
of  Mohammed.— VII.  Power  of  Home  supported  by  the  Monks. — Coa- 
quests  of  the  Mohammedans. — VIII.  Temporal  Power  of  the  Popes. — The 
Empire  of  Charlemagne. — IX. — Dismemberment  of  Charlemagne's  Em- 
pire.— Danish  Invasion  of  England. — Weakness  of  France. — Reign  o( 
Alfred. — X.  Darkness  and  Despair. — XI.  The  Commencement  of  Imnrove- 
ment. — Gregory  the  Seventh. — First  Crusade. — XII.  Elevation  of  Learn- 
ing.— Power  of  the  Church. — Thomas  k  Becket. — XIII.  First  Crusade 
against  Heretics. — The  Alblgenses. — Magna  Charta. — Edward  I. — XIV. 
Abolition  of  the  Order  of  Templars. — Rise  of  Modern  Literature. — Schism 
of  the  Church. — XV.  Decline  of  Feudalism. — Agincourt. — Joan  of  Arc. — 
The  Printing  Press. — Discovery  of  America. — XVI.  The  Reformation. — 
The  Jesuits. — Policy  of  Elizabeth. — XVII.  English  Rebellion  and  Revolu- 
tion.—Despotism  of  Louis  the  Fourteenth.— XVIII.  India.— America.— 
France. — Index. 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS. 

Mr.  White  possesses  in  a  high  degree  tho  power  of  epitomizing— that 
fHOulty  which  enables  him  to^distil  the  essence  from  a  mass  oi  facts,  and  to 
eondenso  it  in  description  j"  a  battle,  siege,  or  other  remarkable  event, 
which,  without  his  skill,  might  occupy  a  chapter,  is  corwpressed  within 
the  compass  of  a  y^"^  or  two,  and  this  without  the  sacrifice  of  any  feature 
ebsential  or  signincant. — Century. 

Mr.  White  has  been  very  happy  in  touching  upon  the  salient  points  in 
the  history  of  each  century  m  the  Christian  era,  and  yet  has  avoided  mak- 
ing his  work  a  mere  bald  analysis  or  chronological  table. — Prov.  Joubnau 

In  no  single  volume  of  English  literature  can  so  satisfying  and  clear  ax> 
Idea  of  the  historical  character  of  these  eighteen  centuries  be  obtainei.— 
Hoiu  Journal. 

In  this  volume  we  have  the  best  epxtoice  or  Christian  History  bx- 
fAMT.  This  is  high  praise,  but  at  the  same  time  just.  The  author's  pecu- 
liar success  is  in  making  the  great  points  and  facts  of  history  stand  out  hj 
Nharp  relief.  His  style  may  be  said  to  be  stereosoopio,  and  tno  effect  \a  e» 
oewlingly  impresBive.— Pboyidmiok  Pbesb. 


A  Complete  Biblical  Library. 

THE 

TREASURY  OF  BIBLE  KNOWLEDGE 

BEING 

A     Dl  CTION  AR  Y 


The  Books,  Persons,  Places,  Events,  and  other  matters,  of 

which    mention  is   made   in  Holy   Scripture.     Intended 

to  establish  its  authority  and  illustrate  its  contents. 

By    RE^.    JOHN-    ^YRE,    1^1.  ^., 

OF  GONVILLE  AND   CA1U3  COLLEGE,   CAilBKIDGE, 

Illustrate  J  ivith  many  hundred  ivoodcuts  and  fifteen  full-page  steel  flateSj 
drawn  by  Justyne^from  original  photographs  by  Graham^  and  fi-ve 
colored  maps.      l  thick  volume,  izmo,  ^^  pages.      Price, 
Cloth,  $4.00;    Half  Calf,  $5. 

Sent  free  hy  mail  on  receipt  of  the  price. 


"  The  general  object  of  this  work  is  to  promote  the  intelligent 
use  of  the  Sacred  Volume  by  furnishing  a  mass  of  information  re- 
specting Palestine,  and  the  manners,  customs,  religion,  literature,  arts, 
and  attainments  of  the  inhabitants  ;  an  account  of  the  countries  and 
races  with  which  the  Hebrews  had  relations,  together  with  some 
notice  of  all  the  persons  and  places  mentioned  in  the  Bible  and 
Apocrypha.  The  history  and  authority  of  the  books  themselves  are 
discussed  conjointly  and  severally.  I  have  been  anxious  to  study  the 
best  authorities  for  what  is  asserted,  and  to  bring  up  the  informa- 
tion to  the  most  modem  standard.  I  have  not  written  hastily, 
therefore,  but  have  spent  some  years  in  the  compilation  of  this 
Tolume." — Extract  from  the  Preface. 

"Among  the  books  which  should  find  a  place  in  the  collection  of 
every  Christian  man,  who  seeks  to  have  in  his  possession  any  thing 
beyond  a  Bible  and  hymn-book,  we  know  of  none  more  valuable 
than  'The  Treasury  of  Bible  Knowledge.'  It  is  in  all  respects  the 
best,  as  it  is  the  most  convenient  manual  for  the  Biblical  student  yet 
published.  We  hope  to  see  this  work  in  the  hands  of  every  Sunday- 
Bchool  and  Bible-class  teacher." — Americatt  Baptist. 

"  »  *  *  Qjjg  Qf  ^jjg  most  valuable  publications  ever  issued  by 
that  house." — Xew  Yorker. 

D.  APPLETON  &  COMPANY, 

Publishers  and  Booksellers, 
549  &  551  Broadu>ay,  New   York 


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Cloth,  $1.25. 

TTioughts  on  JPersonal  Meligion:  Being  a  Treatise  on 
the  Christian  life  in  its  two  chief  elements — Devotion  and  Prac- 
tice. With  two  new  chapters  not  in  previous  editions.  By 
Edward  Meyrick  Goulburn,  D.  D.  Fourth  American  Edition, 
enlarged.  With  a  Prefatory  Note  by  George  H.  Houghton, 
D.  D.,  Rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Transfiguration  in  the  City  of 
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Ojflce  of  the  Holy  Communion  in  the  Boole  of 
Common  Trayer,  A  Series  of  Lectures  delivered  in  the 
Church  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist.  By  Edward  Meyrick 
GouLDURN,  D.  D.  Adapted  by  the  author  for  the  Episcopal  Ser 
vice  in  the  United  States.     1  vol.,  12mo.     Cloth,  $1.00. 

Sermons  Preached  on  Various  Occasions  during 
the  Last  Twenty  Years.  By  Edward  Meyrick  Gouir 
BURN,  D.  D.     1  vol.,  12mo.     Cloth,  $1.00. 

The  Idle  Word  :  Short,  Religious  Essays  on  the  Gift  of  Speech 
and  its  Employment  in  Conversation.  By  Edward  Meyrioi 
GoDLBURN,  D.  D.     1  vol.,  12mo.     Cloth,  V6  cents. 

An  Intyroduction  to  the  L>evotional  Study  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures*  By  Edward  Meyrick  Goulburn,  D.  D, 
First  American  from  the  Seventh  London  Edition.  V  vol., 
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